When Bombay was afire from practically December 6, 1992 onwards, people outside Bombay and in the world at large, wondered in agony why and what for Ram and Rahim were having an armed confrontation in Bombay, Ahmedabad and a few other places in the country. Except for the Eastern and North-Eastern climes of the country and Punjab and Kashmir, quite a few places suffered from the Ram-Rahim confrontation. 

Sitting in the privacy of my agonising thoughts, full of dismay and concern I wondered what may have happened to the broad spectrum of friends - young and not so young and old - residing in Bombay. All that I could do was to write to these friends making anxious enquiries. Two friends, a little over mid forty, responded. Their response was at a level of intellectual agony and emotional disturbance. I felt that since both - one a professor of physics and the other an architect - belong to the functional intelligentsia, what they wrote to me may as well be shared by the readers of Janata. 

Response of the Professor
The professor wrote on January 27, 1993, "The riots did not affect us. Our locality is comparatively safe, as if we are residing on an island. It is not an exaggeration to say that I was kind of paralysed, benumbed psychologically, and am still not completely out of that feeling. Consequently, for a few days after receiving your letter, I could not organise myself mentally in rendering my emotions, sentiments and feelings and the thoughts arising out of them and putting them on paper in a coherent and intelligible language".

"I do not wish to present here a socio-political analysis of the genesis of the carnage to which Bombay was subjected, nor do I wish to indulge in fault-finding and blaming one set of religious fanatics or the other or both. I am also not interested in highlighting the role of administration - both civil and law and order authority - but wish to talk about the very fabric of civilisation and culture which was attempted to be torn apart. What I read and heard about the carnage made me as an ordinary citizen and human being to recall to my mind the past history". 

"The partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 when the British transferred power and the barbarism manifested then sent a shudder down my spine as I recalled it to my mind. I wonder whether Indian civilisation advanced a wee bit or regressed during the past 45 years. The accounts are still there for anyone to read. People and families who suffered are still alive - at least most of them. But then Hitler's Germany, Stalin's Russia, the war crimes of Japanese and the Apart held in South Africa are paradigm cases of the same malaise. Do we despair? Do we bow our heads in shame? Should we not learn from history?"

Culture and Civilisation
"The foregoing considerations raise a basic issue - are culture and civilisation synonymous? Can uncivilised be cultured? Can the uncultured build up civilisation? I do not wish to be my own Jesting Pilate and wash my hands in the bowl of history. A credible answer can be that culture is a horizontal growth and affects the life situations of the people in a constructive and creative manner. Civilisation is a power construct of social, political and religious aspects. It may lead to national freedom in which people may continue to be staves. It is aggressive and through wars of conquest leads to subjugation of other politics and nation states. But the situation is puzzling."

"Has the time come to reassess the ethical and moral values that have been held as basic tenets of social organisation uptill now and then redefine them? I have never been and am not yet a pessimist, but I am not sure that I may not become one. You have said in your letter that when Bombay was on fire its heat was scorching you in Pune. You have aptly emphasised the sentiment. What I do not understand is why the people who set Bombay on fire have not been scorched?"

"As I mentioned earlier, we are safe though disturbed emotionally and in thought. It may perhaps take quite sometime before normally may return in these aspects."

Response of the Architect
"I had received your letter on January 18, but due to the preoccupation with the situation here in Bombay, I was delayed in my response."

"On the night of January 6 we had some four timber godowns burning within a furlong of our building. In the hutment colony behind our building Hindus and Muslims clashed in a war of attrition. The Hindus were led and promoted by Shiv-Sainiks and goondas and Muslims likewise were led by their lenders and goondas. Fortunately beyond a skirmish nothing happened and no one was injured. Both sides were armed with all kinds of weapons except guns. But later the Hindu part of the hutments had search-lights all over the hutment gullies and men and boys who are not goons but ordinary people look their turns to keep vigil. Everybody was afraid wherever there are mixed localities. Lakhs have fled Bombay. Most of my work is at a stand still because painters, polishers, carpenters and their helpers who stay in hutment colonies have either lost their homes or have gone away simply because of fear".

"We are afraid of returning home after 9 p.m. and avoid coming late. It is a situation which is quite inexplicable and benumbing. From January 7 onwards for about four days ordinary middle-class Maharashtrians residing in a peaceful suburb like Vile Parle(East) had armed themselves with whatever weapons they could, to protect themselves from any attack from Muslim goondas, whom now everybody refers to as just Muslims. I suppose the Muslims may be doing the same in the matter of Hindu goondas".

Will the Estrangement Last?
"I cannot figure out whether this will estrange the two communities for a long time to come or that they will come closer now with only the stupid and cruel militants on either side getting marginalised after some time. The necessity to coexist peacefully will assert on either side or the few selfish and short-sighted politicians, goondas, builders and their like will keep on stoking the fire and fanning the flames in order to weaken the people by making them fight among themselves. Yet may be the Hindus and Muslims may decide to forgive one another; but in order that they may also forget, the Christians and Parsees must assert their sapience and encourage the Hindus and Muslims to forget." 

"I have never been afraid of moving in Bombay at any time of the day and to any place. Nor was I afraid of freely communicating with each and every person I come across during the course of my work. But now I cannot do so except where I know the person to be above partisan feelings. In fact I do not know if I am also totally non-partisan. I wonder if secularism is a way of life or a politico-economic convenience."

"The city appears to be returning to normalcy but it is still not safe enough for the children to go to schools and for the working women to go to work. I am not being paranoid. Goondas are still going round killing innocent people sporadically in peaceful localities, and people appear to be just passive onlookers."

"For the first time we have seen the evidence of what happens to a community when its political and the so-called religious leaders and goondas form a homogeneous and well organised body out to hold the community and the country at ransom. If anyone should be liquidated, then it is this dastardly body, so that even the normal nexus between politics and crime will weaken and will become marginal.

"If any one should be liquidated then it is these impotent politicians who are unfit and weak to handle the reins of power. The least that the people should do - common place Hindus and Muslims together - is to get hold of a few top politicians, few religious leaders and all the goondas and flog them publicly. May be this programme can be arranged ward-wise".

To Sum-up
I would like to sum-up, if I may, to remind all and sundry that the India of Nanak, Kabir, Ramkrishna Paramahans, and the numerous saints and their unbroken tradition of centuries, may be recalled. Let not Kabir cry. Let the philosophical tenets of 'ADVAIT' be preached and practised.

ln past history of the world Neros of Rome fiddled and Janaks of Mithila looked on as Romes and Mithilas burnt. Let this not be repeated again. In conclusion one may ask both Ram and Rahim and their bigoted followers, QUO VADIS - from here whither thou goest?
 

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