LIBERHAN COMMISSION: Another Irony?

Almost seventeen years after it was set up to probe the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 1992, the one-member Justice M.S. Liberhan Commission finally submitted its report to the Union Government on 30^th June last. The demolition of the Babri Masjid, which raised question on India’s secularism is still remains a shame to us. In fact it was the most traumatic event of our nation after independence and we were waiting for a proper probe on this mater. But the question is, how long have to wait?

Liberhan Commission was expected to complete the inquiry in three months. And it took almost two hundred months instead of the said time frame. It took forty eight extensions and the centre had spent over Rs. eight crore on the Commission. During this period we were just waiting and waiting and waiting… hoping against hope that we common Indian can live our life with a secular identity. It was said that honorable Justice Liberhan would not dedicate full time because he was a sitting judge till 11 November 2000. But why then a sitting judge? Could not we do something different?

I am not against the modus operandi of the Commission. In fact with almost four hundred sitting and examining powerful people like former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao, BJP leader LK Advani, MM Joshi, VHP leader Ashok Singhal and many more, the Commission may had done its role properly. Irony is that we have to wait as long as seventeen years for merely the inquiry report. During this period Narasimha Rao passed away, the world around us has changed in many ways. Such type of delay led advantages for politicians for setting up an investigation Commission to postpone any tough decision. Justice Liberhan could have changed the situation, but he missed his chance.

We have to wait almost two decades for the investigation report. Who knows how long we have to wait to know its contents and a proper step from the Governments part?