From: ayya@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (P.S.  Ayyaswamy)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian,soc.culture.pakistan,soc.culture.bangladesh
Subject: Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Babri Mosque
Date: 17 Dec 92 18:14:21 GMT
Followup-To: soc.culture.indian
Organization: University of Pennsylvania


Recently a very thought provoking article has been posted by Mr. Satwindar 
Singh Sadhal - Babri Masjid: Why all evil acts must be condemned.

In this article, Mr. Sadhal has provided information about Babar and
Guru Nanak. Although I have read a large bit of the history of India,
the following information from his article is new to me. I would
like readers to verify and to comment upon Mr. Sadhal's statements.



>>A vast majority of the well-read Indians are
>>probably  confused as to why the Babri Mosque takes such a high 
>>position in the  Islamic  world.  A great deal of the Indian 
>>history, as far I know, portrays Babar was a plunderer, and  
>>an  evil emperor. Upon his invasion of Panjab, he encountered 
>>resistance from a highly placed prophet, namely Guru Nanak, who was  
>>subsequently   imprisoned   by  Babar. Seeing  all   the  plunder 
>>and   killing   of innocent men,  women  and  children,  he  
>>proclaimed, 

>>	``When there is so much of bloodshed and the people groan,
>>		O God, thou feelst no pain?  

>>	A deadly lion hath pounced upon a herd of cows,
>>	and Thou, the Master, carest not?'' 
				-- {Guru Nanak, in the Holy Granth}

>>Guru Nanak went on to condemned Babar as a `Zabar' (tyrant). 
>>He further wrote, in reference to Babar,

>>	``You have become the ruler of Khurasand,
>>	Then why do you terrorize Hindustan?'' 
			-- {Guru Nanak}, in the Holy Granth}

>>The Moghul Emperors, with the exception of Akbar, are regarded as 
>>a  bunch despots with no humanitarian regard. In the  opinion  of 
>>many  Indians,  they  hold  the same rank  as  Genghis  Khan  and  
>>Timurlane,  who are  also their forebears. The atrocities include  
>>the execution of Guru Arjan Dev and Guru Teg Bahadur, the  sawing 
>>of  Bhai  Mati   Das's  head in half and  the  hacking  of   Sikh  
>>children   and garlanding  their  mothers with the  body  pieces, 
>>all   because  of their  vehement refusal to accept the  Moghulai 
>>version  of   Islam. 

>>One often hears  that 
>>the  Moghul kings   are highly regarded in the Islamic world.  If 
>>this is a myth, then the Muslims  of the world must condemn these 
>>men, put the myth  to rest and clear any misunderstanding.  

......stuff deleted.........

>>			Satwindar Singh Sadhal 


	It is my personal belief that the demolition of the Mosque
was an irresponsible and regrettable act by a frenzied mob, and 
this could have been easily avoided. I still believe, based on my
frequent visits to India, that a vast majority of Hindus do not bear
any ill-will whatsoever towards Indian Muslims (and for that 
matter towards Indian Sikhs, Indian Christians, or Indian Jews).
In fact, I believe that if the Muslim Leaders had arranged to send
a few willing volunteers with Mr. Joshi when he hoisted the National
Flag of India in Srinagar, even the frenzied mob at Ayodhya might
have reacted differently. Mobs afterall go by gestures because
they are just mobs and not intellectuals.

			-- Ayyaswamy


Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian