India that saw Ayodhya- By Abhishek Iyengar

As I sat in my house the whole day tuning every possible news channel, I was anxious to know the result of something which had probably run through 6 different generations of our country. The ‘Ayodhya verdict’, I was probably 8 years when the entire country saw shocking pictures of masjid being brought down, adding much to my childhood astonishment, the schools were closed and the grounds wore a deserted look then. Huh! These men I sighed as we dared to step onto the road to dig the cricket stump, only to be chased away by daring policeman who wore a complete deadly look then, which years later I understood was actually a ‘Helplessness’ look.

It only spoiled our evening ‘Pani puri’ session as the shopkeeper turned his shutters for the next 15 days to come, raising a new violence in our hearts against the then ruling government.

“Why should pani puri and grounds be shutdown?” we questioned, only to get a smiling answer from our parents adding to their joy that we had to spend the next 15 days studying and eating home food. Gosh! I hated those days, with only one frequency set those days on TV, the images of BBC, painted a new image of the country in my growing up days. Those days of curfew which actually meant more ‘School holidays’ had not set something right about the whole thing in my mind.

Today after 18 years, I was in the same situation, only this time I had a better mind to think and understand or atleast I believe so! I sat there to witness something that was historic, a judgement that would test India for its belief towards ‘Communal Harmony’ I sat there to witness a ‘New Modern India’ which had‘Moved on!’ Sitting amidst 4 walls and with holiday being forced, the last thing I was hoping was for the ‘Pani puri’ shops to be closed again, I hoped for a better India and resilient India.

As the media fired up the gates of ‘Lucknow highcourt’ it was time for a new test, ‘probably a test which even Dravid would have felt difficult to defend!’ The Media showed their patience and when the verdict was out, that was when I noticed the ‘New changing India’. I was out there in the streets ignoring 100’s of warnings only to find people coming out for a relaxed walk. Some how the deserted image of 1992 was slowly dissolving with new modern India’s look.

There was no sense of fear, I believed ‘our country has changed!” only to be corrected by my friend who accompanied with me on the roads as ‘We have changed!’ The global India now seems to be logical when it comes to ‘Communal Harmony’, I still remember in 1992 when I asked a policeman the reason for the shutdown for which he shrugged off ignorantly unlike today’s policemen who sang the tune ‘Togetherness’ I don’t know who won or who lost but today I was sure that our country is prepared for a whole new wave, a wave of ‘New Young India’ who care only about worshiping ‘not exactly where!’

As I wrapped up in satisfaction, my counterpart in United kingdom asked me “So how are the riots there mate?” for which I answered in a tone which was blooming high as our tricolour..

“huh! You mean riots my friend? Ah! I don’t know about that but I am here enjoying my evening dose of pani puri!”

-Abhishek Iyengar