An emotional Purnima Kothari is all set to be in attendance at the landmark consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir on 22nd January of this year. She is the sister of 22-year-old Ram Kothari and 20-year-old Sharad Kothari, karsevaks (people who offer their services for free to a religious cause) who lost their lives during the Ram Janmbhoomi movement on 2nd November 1990 to the violence unleashed by the then government of Mulayam Singh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh. The two Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) members went to Ayodhya from Kolkata soon after Diwali thirty-three years ago to serve the cause of Ram Mandir. However, like many of their fellow karsevaks, they never returned home.
On 11th January, Purnima Kothari and her daughter are heading from Kolkata to Ayodhya where they will remain until 23rd January, the day following the temple’s inauguration event. Even though her parents witnessed both of their sons die for the temple movement, she revealed that they were grateful that their sons sacrificed their lives in defence of their beliefs. She visits Ayodhya during every Diwali to revisit her memories with her brothers. However, this time she believes that their souls would at last find peace.
Purnima Kothari stated in an interview with News18, “They walked all the way from Banaras to Ayodhya. The first day they went inside and, amid all the security, they actually planted their flag. The next day they saw newspapers report that nothing had happened and karsevaks could not do anything. So they decided to go a second time. This time, there was violence. Both my brothers were hiding, but they heard someone crying. They came out and were shot by some goons”.
Tears continued to well up in her eyes as she conveyed, “Sangh seniors came and invited my daughter to the Ram Mandir consecration. We are very happy because we know that our brothers’ sacrifice will not go in vain. When Modiji will participate in Pran Pratistha, my brothers will be smiling from above.”
Memories of her deceased brothers are everywhere in her home. According to her, the Ram Mandir is the result of the efforts and devotion of the average person. She further voiced, “If a memorial for those who died for it comes up in the area, then that will be great.” Furthermore, she expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well and asserted that it was his efforts that ultimately brought the dream of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya to fruition.
A few days ago, Poornima Kothari emphasised in a previous statement that the individuals who delivered the order to fire on Kasevaks shouldn’t be allowed to attend the consecration ceremony, rather they should be punished. She brought up Mulayam Singh Yadav’s 2017 remark in which he defended his decision and argued that it was appropriate for police to use force against the karsevaks in order to preserve the nation’s integrity and unity.
Bloodshed of Hindus on the streets of Ayodhya
On the auspicious day of Kartik Purnima at 9 in the morning, thousands of devotees of Lord Ram including women and the elderly, together with Hindu saints began marching towards the location of the disputed Ram Janmbhoomi on 2nd November 1990. The security personnel lined up on the road to obstruct their path since they had been ordered to prevent them from reaching the location.
The Hindu devotees would sit and begin reciting Bhajans (religious songs) and chanting the name of Lord Ram whenever the security guards sought to stop them. They touched the feet of the cops stationed to prevent them from moving forward. The latter would step back and the karsevaks would advance each time they did this. The karsevaks were unarmed and yet they remained undeterred.
This continued in an unending cycle until the Inspector General issued directives and the police officers intervened. The karsevaks were subjected to tear gas shells and lathis but the unwavering Ram Bhakts did not back down or show signs of weakness. Unexpectedly, security personnel began to react by firing their weapons. Numerous Hindu devotees were shot and killed. The security guards reportedly pursued and targeted Hindus in every lane and side street leading to the Ram Janmbhoomi and the streets quickly turned into a battlefield.
The Kothari brothers were among the many karsevaks who began to assemble in front of Hunumangarhi on the fateful day. Hunumangarhi was situated close to the disputed structure that was later destroyed. Police stopped the gathering led by Vinay Katiyar of Bajrang Dal from proceeding.
They were all sitting on the road in protest and began to sing “bhajans” when all of a sudden, policemen who were acting on the orders of the then chief minister Mulayam Singh opened fire on the assembly and drove the karsevaks away. Head injuries claimed a lot of lives. A stampede occurred at the Saryu Bridge, resulting in several fatalities. Eyewitnesses disclosed that the Kothari brothers tried to raise a saffron flag atop the Babri Masjid but were ultimately defeated by the assault directed at the karsevaks.
The official investigation after the incident found that 16 people had died in the firing, but the toll was far higher in reality. The Daily Aaj stated that as many as 400 people had lost their lives in the violence inflicted by the then-Samajwadi Party-ruled state.
