Ayodhya demolition: Firsthand account of a journalist

By Pradeep Kapoor

Ayodhya: At the time when 25th anniversary of Babri mosque demolition has approached and court is set to start hearing of the case, I decided to share the first person account of what happened on fateful day of December 6, 1992.

As bureau chief of BLITZ newsmagazine, I was present in Ayodhya on that day.

I was witness to the most shameful act of karsewaks against humanity when they demolished Babri mosque.

I remember as to how so-called sants and sadhvis were raising provocative slogans. Senior police officers were showing to media persons as to how people from mob had climbed the domes of the mosque. I was under the impression that police would resort to lathi charge or open fire to protect the mosque but nothing happened.

On one hand people from mob started demolition of the mosque and on the other hand within no time karsewaks started attacks on the media persons.

I remember to how BBC journalist Mark Tully and others including myself were attacked on the terrace of Kanak Bhawan near. We all rushed to save our lives.

Myself and senior journalist Gyanendra Sharma took the help of a foreign journalist who was coming by Maruti van. Dear friend Dilip Awasthi and Raghu Rai, photographer of India Today, who were behind us had been overpowered by karsewaks. They were not only harassed but their photographic equipment were taken away so that no picture should appear in media.

We reached Shan-e-Awadh hotel in Faizabad, about 8 kms from the scene, facing frenzied mob all through.

Majority of journalists staying in the hotel were assaulted and beaten up by karsewaks.

I remember as to how senior journalist Ruchira Gupta who had been attacked by karsewaks was crying while talking to her relatives in New Delhi. Local photographer of India Today Ram Khilawan was also crying as he had been beaten up.

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I must compliment Mr Kapoor, the owner of Shan-e-Awadh hotel, who provided all possible help from medical to food and finances to journalists who were harassed and beaten up and lost money while running to save their lives.

On our way back to Lucknow from Ayodhya in ambassador car we had politician Waseem Bhindi and other female journalists with us. It was very risky venture on our part as frenzied mob was moving around holding bricks from Babri mosque and waving them toward public as symbol of victory.

Reaching Lucknow safely was the main objective as we had Muslims and females with us. So we adopted the strategy as if we had nothing to do with Ayodhya and were returning from a marriage ceremony.

On our way back from Ayodhya to Faizabad and then from Faizabad to Lucknow we were stopped by the frenzied mob at several places but we survived and managed to reach Lucknow where curfew had been imposed.

When I reached home my wife informed that she had received 300 calls from well-wishers as they knew that I was in Ayodhya.

It, indeed, was one of most horrifying assignments of my journalistic career, memory of which still haunts me.