The construction of a grand temple at the birthplace of Lord Rama, adored by Hindus all over the world is in progress. On 22nd January 2024, the deity will be enshrined in his rightful place in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, people are remembering all those individuals who laid down their lives for Lord Ram in the struggle that lasted for around five centuries. Mahavir Prasad Agrawal is one of those selfless karsevaks who sacrificed themselves for the liberation of the Ram Janmbhoomi. His family presently lives in Ayodhya. OpIndia reached their home and spoke to them to find out about their current situation.
Mahavir Prasad Agrawal used to make incense sticks and sell them in Gonda and Ayodhya. His old house is in the Wazirganj Japti area of Ayodhya city (called as Faizabad earlier) in a Muslim-dominated neighbourhood. His sons have now constructed a new home close to the Devkali Bypass. OpIndia’s crew found the younger son, Abhishek Agarwal at the residence.
Mahavir Prasad Agrawal’s widow raised the family by stitching clothes
Abhishek told OpIndia that when he was just 9 years old, his father sacrificed himself while participating in the Ram Mandir movement in Ayodhya on 2nd November 1990. Mahavir Prasad left behind his wife and two sons. Sharda Devi Agrawal, his widow raised the children following his demise. She began sewing at home to cover the costs of their education and other expenses. When the two boys grew up they began lending a hand to their mother doing small jobs.
According to Abhishek, Sharda Devi was psychologically broken after the death of her spouse but managed to survive for her kids. She never failed her two sons, despite all the difficulties. Sharda Devi got the two married after their studies were over and eventually passed away in 2012 after an illness. Abhishek Agarwal works as a property dealer. Akhilesh Agarwal, his older brother runs a hotel in Lucknow. Hindu organisations continued to honour the family of Mahavir Prasad Agarwal on several occasions during this time.
Killed by a bullet while singing Ram Bhajan
Abhishek Agrawal recalls the 2nd November 1990 incident vividly. He told us that it was Friday. Mulayam Singh gave the order for police to encircle Ayodhya from all directions. Hence, Mahavir Prasad Agrawal along with his companions swam across the river Saryu and succeeded in reaching Karsewakpuram in Ayodhya. Abhished informed that his father and other karsevaks were unarmed. They gathered at a place near Karsewakpuram and started chanting Ram Bhajan (devotional Lord Ram songs). Meanwhile, the devotees were surrounded from all sides and bullets were fired.
Preparations were made to throw the dead body into the river
Abhishek revealed that his father was shot twice in the chest during the unexpected shooting incident after which he fell to the ground and began to flail. Other karsevaks were lathi-charged for attempting to rescue him which resulted in a stampede. However, some Lord Ram devotees pulled Mahavir Prasad away from the throng and put his body up on a platform. He was reportedly breathing then. Afterward, a police truck came and started filling it with the dead bodies of the karsevaks who died in the firing.
Abhishek disclosed that he learned from the surviving karsevaks that dozens of their fellow karsevaks were killed in the assault. The police also carried numerous injured karsevaks onto vehicles and tossed them alive into the Saryu River during the process of collecting dead bodies. Abhishek mentioned that his critically injured father was also loaded into the truck which had multiple corpses. Mahavir Prasad’s life ended in the automobile after suffering greatly. His wife reached the spot with some of her relatives when the instance was reported.
After wandering around searching for her husband, she finally found his body in a police car with the bodies of several other karsevaks. Sharda Devi was mistreated by the cops present there when she tried to take the body. However, it was handed over to her after much pleading. According to Abhishek Agarwal, his father’s body would have been thrown into the Saryu River along with many other living or dead karsevaks if his family had arrived just a little later.
Abhishek recounted the occurrence and declared that the blood of Lord Ram worshipers had turned Saryu’s water scarlet on that day. In the end, Mahavir’s family attended his final rituals at Ayodhya’s Saryu coast in the presence of cops.
Proud of father’s sacrifice
Abhishek Agrawal termed the construction of the Ram temple as a good fortune for Hindus including himself and stated that his father Mahavir’s sacrifice will always be remembered in this sacred mission. He conveyed that before his father’s martyrdom, his ancestors were all followers of Lord Ram and the current descendants also worship him and will continue to do so. Abhishek Agarwal frequently visits Ram Janmbhoomi to serve Ram devotees from around the world. The pooja room of his home has a Ram Darbar (court of Lord Ram). Similar to the families of other martyrs, he too wished for the construction a memorial in Ayodhya in his father’s name.
‘Mulayam could do anything for Muslim appeasement‘
Mulayam Singh Yadav is directly held accountable by Abhishek Agrawal for his father’s death. He remarked that Mulayam’s “would have killed more karsevaks if necessary” comment affected them all and reopened old wounds. Abhishek also believed that Mulayam Singh Yadav killed the Karsevaks in order to please the Muslims since he would stop at nothing to win their favour. Abhishek appealed not to invite any avowed anti-Ram person to the temple’s consecration ceremony.
