Twelve years after the Babri Masjid was demolished, there is a sense of gloom among the dozen workers at the VHP’s workshop in Ayodhya who are engaged in carving stones for the proposed Ram temple.The VHP recently reduced the strength of workers at the workshop, and many have gone back to their native places. With virtually no work, there is uncertainty writ large on the faces of those who have stayed back.‘‘There are very few of us left here. No fresh load of stones has come here for the last two months and we are left with virtually no work,’’ says Bhagwan Singh, who came here nine years ago from Rajasthan to eke out a living. He plans to look for another job.The VHP, on its part, maintains that it has already stockpiled enough stones for the proposed temple, leaving no space in the workshop for more. ‘‘Ramji ka paise hain. Kyun barbad kare? Hamare paas itna patthar hain ki mandir nirman shuru hone ke teen saal bad tak jaroorat nahin padegi (Why should we waste the money which has been collected in the name of Lord Ram. Even if the construction of the temple begins now, we have enough stones to last three years),’’ says Sharad Sharma, the VHP’s media in-charge in Ayodhya.Meanwhile, at the VHP headquarters in Karsevakpuram, there was disillusionment among the handful of sants and VHP volunteers who had gathered to mark 12th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition this afternoon. The reason for their disappointment was not far to seek. No senior VHP leader had come to address the gathering. VHP working president Ashok Singhal is scheduled to reach here only tomorrow evening to participate in the ‘‘Ram Ki Barat’’ programme which starts on Wednesday. The movement seemed to have lost steam going by the empty chairs at the function.The speakers reiterated their ‘‘resolve’’ to build a temple at the disputed site soon. ‘‘The court cannot decide on the issue as the construction of the Ram temple is a matter of our religious faith which is beyond the jurisdiction of any court,’’ said Rajendra Singh Pankaj, the VHP’s central secretary, as shouts of ‘‘Jai Shri Ram’’ rent the air.With the VHP keeping the affair low-key, local residents of the twin towns of Ayodhya and Faizabad have less to complain about. ‘‘We were fed up with the VHP’s day-to-day programmes which resulted in curfews and other restrictions,’’ says Rajendra Agarwal, who runs a shop in Faizabad.Meanwhile, Muslim shop-owners in the twin towns downed the shutters and offered namaz. ‘‘We will abide by the court verdict on the issue. This is a good sign that tension among Hindus and Muslims in two towns has reduced considerably,’’ says Zafaryab Jilani of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.
