Attack on a mahant

THERE is much more to Ayodhya than mandir-masjid politics. The city has come to symbolise much of what has gone wrong with Hinduism. It has been witness to bloody battles, many of them between sants and mahants for control of wealth of their respective peeths and temples. These murky affairs, normally kept hidden, attracted national attention when Mahant Nrityagopal Das, vice-president of Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas, the trust that has been entrusted by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) with the responsibility of building a Ram temple at Ayodhya, was attacked with crude bombs on May 28 while he was on his way to the Saryu river. The mahant survived with bruised legs and some splinter injuries, but his personal bodyguard and four others sustained serious injuries.

As is customary with it in such cases, the VHP instantly blamed it on ISI (the Inter-Services Intelligence) of Pakistan. Mahant himself attributed the attack to the ISI and terrorists. However, one of his own ex-disciples, Mahant Devram Das Vedanti, has now turned out to be the accused. Vedanti was removed by Nrityagopal Das from the control of the prosperous Radhaballabh Kunj temple.

There, however, is a twist in the tale. It was not just a jilted disciple seeking revenge for losing some property. It is claimed that Mahant Vedanti had the backing of the president of the Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas, Ramchandra Paramhans, and also enjoyed the patronage of the BJP's member of Parliament from Faizabad Vinay Katiyar. According to unconfirmed reports, the attack also has a lot to do with the control of the Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas, which is overflowing with cash.

The State government promptly announced a high-level inquiry into the matter, but no arrests were made. The attack has brought the already beleagured State government under fire from the sants and mahants in Ayodhya; many of them reportedly blame the Chief Minister for the incident. According to them, a recent government order withdrew the security provided to them, exposing them to attacks by the ISI and terrorists. Two gunmen provided to Mahant Nrityagopal Das were withdrawn early this month after the government unveiled its new security policy and he was asked to deposit money for the security cover.

There was a similar attack on Paramhans on May 15 last year. Although control over property was the apparent reason in that case too, the VHP raised the ISI bogey and some Muslim youth were rounded up. A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry was ordered, but no one has heard anything about the report yet. Baba Lal Das, again a member of Nyas, was murdered a few years ago, and property dispute was said to be at the core of that case.

It was with a view to controlling the huge wealth of religious places that Ram Prakash Gupta as Chief Minister brought in the Dharamsampada Bill (Religious Places Property Bill) last year. Had it been made an Act, the State government would have gained some control over the money matters of religious places. But the VHP raised a ruckus and the government was forced to drop the bill.