The construction of a temple at the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya is in full swing. On 22nd January 2024, the idol is going to be consecrated here in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There is a sense of devotion and happiness across the nation on this auspicious occasion. However, at the same time Hindu society is also honouring those Ram devotees who sacrificed their lives for Ramjanmbhoomi from the Mughal era to the Mulayam rule. One of them was Vasudev Gupta from Ayodhya who was shot dead on 30th October 1990 on the orders of the then Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. On 28th December 2023, OpIndia inquired about the present condition of his family.
Family struggling with severe financial hardship
Vasudev Gupta used to run a sweet shop in the Nayaghat area of Ayodhya to support his family. His wife, their three daughters and two sons survived on the proceeds from this store. Now, it is damaged and its wreckage is strewn in their new house because of lawsuits from neighbours and others. Their new place has only two rooms. Debris was all around when the OpIndia team arrived there to visit the family members. Utensils were scattered inside the rooms. Although Vasudev’s daughter didn’t disclose anything, the circumstances indicated that the family was facing serious economic strain.
Later his wife, daughter and son also died
We found Seema Gupta, the late Vasudev’s daughter in the home. She informed us that one by one her mother, one sister and one brother passed away following the passing of his father. She stated that every one of them died from illness. Seema added that the three members of her family could have been saved if they had received the necessary funding for medical care. There are currently one son and two married daughters in Vasudev’s household. Vasudev’s son Sandeep Gupta is married and a father of two children.
Ram Janmbhoomi Trust granted job after witnessing their poor situation
Vasudev’s son Sandeep told OpIndia that after the death of his father, mother, brother and sister, his family was in terrible monetary plight. Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Ram Janmbhoomi Trust helped the Gupta family in this situation. The trust employed Sandeep in the locker department of Ramjanmbhoomi. The job was provided on the instruction of the VHP functionary Champat Rai. Sandeep receives very meagre pay, but the family members remarked that when there is nothing, at least the little money keeps the house running. Vasudev’s daughter Seema Gupta hoped that the Hindu society and the current government would help improve the condition of her family sooner or later.
Vasudev’s remaining task was concluded by his spouse
Seema Gupta revealed to us that her mother Shakuntala Gupta was a follower of Lord Ram just like her husband and that she completed the unfinished work left by Vasudev. She started a clothing store to support the family after her husband lost his life. She also got one son and two daughters married with the money she earned from the shop. Seema mentioned that her mother and a few other women were there at the scene when the disputed structure collapsed in 1992. She conveyed that her mother provided treatment to numerous injured karsevaks during the time.
The dead body was not being handed over for the final rites
Seema Gupta broke down in tears as she recalled her father. She proclaimed that she remembered everything even though she was just 7 years old in 1990 when her father was shot. She reported that her mother had to fight to obtain Vasudev’s corpse because there was a reluctance to hand over his body after the post-mortem. However, there were loud protests during this period from Hindu organisations which compelled Mulayam Singh’s administration to back down.
Vasudev stepped out to save the honour of the people of Ayodhya
Vasudev Gupta was originally a resident of Ayodhya. His daughter further told us that his father was a great devotee of Bajrang Bali. When the Ram Mandir liberation movement started, worshippers of the deity from different parts of the country were reaching Ayodhya. Meanwhile, Vasudev Gupta told his family that it wouldn’t reflect well on the people of Ayodhya if he didn’t join them. She unveiled that her father voiced that those living in Ayodhya would be laughed at in the future for not coming out of their homes. Vasudev was shot three times in the waist and stomach after he went out with a group of karsevaks. His life ended on the spot. The lifeless body of Vasudev was discovered at Ramjanmbhoomi in Ramkot.
Threat received in the name of Hizbul Mujahideen
Seema Gupta also informed us that a threatening letter was delivered to their home one to two years post her father’s death. This three-page letter was stamped by Hizbul Mujahideen and written in Urdu. The letter contained multiple threats along with, “You have sent one, keep the other one safe. Saryu River will be named ‘Sharifa River’ and Ayodhya as ‘Ayubabad’.” Vasudev Gupta’s wife Shakuntala then complained about it to the administration.
Father’s dream of Ram Mandir came to fruition
Vasudev Gupta’s family is very happy with the construction of Lord Ram’s Mandir. His son Sandeep and daughter Seema commented that their father’s dream had been realised with the building of the temple. The family of Vasudev also desires that the temple commemorates the sacrifices made by his father and other adherents of Lord Ram. Seema Gupta is hopeful that to preserve her father’s memory, the present administration will certainly erect a memorial in his honour.
OpIndia’s team is in Ayodhya from the last week of December 2023. From here we will enumerate for you the numerous unidentified yet sacred locations in Ayodhya as well as the faceless martyrs of the Ramjanmbhoomi movement and the events that have been forgotten. The second news of this series will be published soon.
