• Source: Ayodhya firing incident

The Uttar Pradesh police opened fire at civilians because they were heading to demolish the Babri Masjid on two separate days, 30 October 1990 and 2 November 1990, in the aftermath of the Ram Rath Yatra. The civilians were religious volunteers, or kar sevaks, assembled near the Ram Janmabhoomi site at Ayodhya. The state government's official records report that at least 17 people were killed.




Background


In September 1990, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and the Shiv Sena started an official campaign for the Ram Temple to be rebuilt at the Ram Janmabhoomi site. The situation became volatile, with L. K. Advani conducting rath yatra and the VHP mobilizing people to the site. The state government, under Mulayam Singh Yadav, promised protection and a complete lockdown of the site and city. Yadav reassured the public: "No bird would be able to fly into Ayodhya".




Timeline






= 21 October 1990

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Volunteers, or kar sevaks, first assembled in Ayodhya at the behest of L. K. Advani of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Ashok Singhal of the VHP, on 21 October 1990.




= 30 October 1990

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Called "the D-Day of Karseva", 30 October saw the start of unprecedented security arrangements. Police barred all bus and train services to Ayodhya. Most kar sevaks reached Ayodhya by foot; some swam across the Sarayu river. The police also barricaded the 1.5 km-long climb to the disputed structure and imposed a curfew. According to the investigatory Liberhan Commission report, issued after the event:

28,000 Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel were deployed in Ayodhya
Out of 40,000 kar sevaks, only 10,000 managed to reach Ayodhya
At around 10am, a large group of kar sevaks headed towards the site, led by Vamadev, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, and Ashok Singhal of the VHP. Ashok Singhal was wounded on the head by a police baton. This altercation led to a mob frenzy and open confrontation between civilians and police officers.
At around 11am, a Hindu holyman or sadhu managed to gain control of an Armed Constabulary bus in which the police were holding detainees. The sadhu drove the bus right through the barricades, clearing a way for the others to follow on foot. The security forces were caught off guard and were forced to chase about 5,000 kar sevaks, who stormed through the heavily guarded site. According to eyewitnesses the Kothari brothers mounted a saffron flag atop the Babri Masjid.




= 1 November 1990

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Hindu groups took a day to cremate and pay homage to the lives lost on 1 November.




= 2 November 1990

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Assembled kar sevaks offered prayers (Pooja) at Ramlila on the morning of 2 November and then proceeded to Babri Masjid. Members of the crowd used the strategy of touching security personnel's feet, which made them withdraw a step. This worked for a while, and the procession continued. However, the police took firm action by using tear gas and baton charges to disperse the crowd. Nevertheless, some contingents of kar sevaks reached and partially damaged the mosque.




Aftermath


News of the shootings was mostly suppressed from the Indian media, but some local and international media outlets mentioned them. The firing incident had a significant impact on Uttar Pradesh and on Indian national politics.
The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh was given the sobriquet 'Mulla' Mulayam Singh for his stance during the incident. He lost the 1991 election to the Bharatiya Janata Party. After that, in the 4 December 1993 election, Mulayam Singh Yadav became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh with the help of Kanshiram. he described his decision to fire on the crowd in Ayodhya as "painful yet necessary as it was ordered by the high court to maintain peace, law and order till the judgement come out."
People of the Hindu community arranged a memorial meeting for the dead Karsevaks on April 4, 1991, at the Boat Club, New Delhi, which attracted a large audience. They also launched a nationwide awareness program displaying the Asthi Kalash (funeral urns) of those who died in the firing incident. In the following years, these organizations and their prominent leaders received both political and moral endorsement.
On 6 December 1992, a large group of kar sevaks completely demolished Babri Masjid.




References

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