The Liberhan commission has brought out the whole truth about the demolition of the Babri Masjid. But then it was a truth already known to the masses for the 400-year-old building was demolished in broad daylight by thousands of Kar Sevaks in the presence of some prominent political leaders. What is more some of them had described the moment as one of national pride.

The Commission has indicted the leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as having led the country to the brink of a communal disaster by demolition of the mosque on December 6, 1992. The report indicted 68 leaders of these groups including former PM Atal Behari Vajapayee alleging that he is a pseudo moderate.

What will happen next? That is uppermost in our minds as we listen to the debates in the media and the legislatures which once again would be focusing upon this event that demolished the secular identity of this nation in the comity of nations in the days to come.

Kalyan Singh, former UP chief minister who is one of the prominent men blamed by the commission, held a press conference reinstating that he felt no remorse, no regrets or repentance and is committed to the idea of having a Ram temple in Ayodhya in place of the demolished mosque.

Spontaneous:
The RSS maintained that the demolition was no act of conspiracy as alleged by the Commission but a spontaneous result of the aspirations of the people. A Hindutva leader Giriraj Kishore said the report was politically motivated. Murali Manohar Joshi boldly declared that their intention to have a temple in Ayodhya was a well known fact. LK Advani BJP leader expressed his anger over the Commission dragging Vajpayee's name into the incident. He was also indignant over the leakage of the report to the Press even before it was placed before the House.

The report presented on November 24, nearly 17 years after the demolition of the historic masjid on December 6,1992 and costing around Rs 8 crore led to mayhem in the house with MPs trading charges and counter charges. The Rajya Sabha nearly became 'a wrestling ground' according to some senior MPs. Along with it the Home ministry also had tabled an Action Taken Report. The ATR had not recommended any action against any specific individuals involved in the episode. However it spoke of the danger posed to the nation by the mixing of religion and politics and declared its intention to formulate strict laws against those who misused religion for political purposes.

The demolition was a reflection of the arrogance of a fanatic section of the majority community which, however, may not have had the sanction of the majority. Such fanatic groups had risen against the minorities on one pretext or another because of the intolerance. On all such occasions a few from the majority community certainly spoke up against the injustices causing some ripples…

The Liberhan report will not bring about any repentance in those who had committed the atrocious acts because they still don't think they had committed any wrong; they even believe that their action was patriotic and the majority community approved of their deed.

Vote Politics:
The government's talk about framing new laws to tackle communal violence may not inspire the confidence in the minorities because it is not lack of laws but a willingness to ensure the rule of law by acting against the bigwigs backed by unthinking mobs for fear of the consequences that had eroded the credibility of the government. Since independence, this nation sworn to secular democracy has violated its sacred principles by compromise after compromise. Expediency and vote politics determined the course of action rather than questions of justice and fair play.

That is how Bal Thackeray, Togadia, Advani , Giriraj Kishore and their ilk inciting mobs on the basis of religion, language or region managed to gain power and popularity and cause immense harm to the image of this nation as a secular democracy in the comity of nations.

Thomas Jefferson's-- a former US President-- statement that a democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine has come to be prophetically true causing havoc in this pluralistic society of ours. Vote politics only strengthen such a trend. Vested interests, ably manipulating mobs, had ridden roughshod on the rights of the minorities often because the majority remained silent.

Strengthen secularism:
The elections in May resulting in the defeat of communal outfits give some hope that the tide is turning. The educated new generation, it is hoped, will not be swayed by old prejudices and divisive ways. Religious polarization of the kind engineered by the BJP may not be easy as their violent ways and hatred stand exposed. The Congress party, swearing by secularism and with its renewed strength, may perhaps be able to act independently to check communal forces. It has promised as much in the Action Taken Report. Promises of firm action against communal elements have been made in the past, but broken. The party itself hosts elements which are communally minded. Those, misusing religion for political purposes, need to be firmly dealt with if peace and progress are to be ensured.

A vigilant media, human rights organizations, and networking of forces believing in democracy and freedom are the need of the hour. Certain tools like the Right To Information should be used to ensure transparency and good governance. Reinhold Neibuhr a renowned theologian has rightly emphasized that “man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.”