‘Why can’t my Muslim brothers give away the land in Ayodhya, it will only end mayhem’

sparked off the hatred we see today in Gujarat. In circumstances where emotions have gone out of control, somebody has to let go. Why can’t my Muslim brothers show that grace and generosity? In any case Islam condemns the reading of namaaz on a site where there has been a quarrel or a riot. So why don’t we just give away the piece of land in Ayodhya to the Hindus and allow them to build a temple on what they call Ram Janambhoomi? It will not be our defeat surely, just an end to the mayhem.

It’s time for some soul-searching and for action that concerns the larger humanity. My husband, Kaifi Azmi, wrote a poem on the subject soon after the demolition of the Babri Masjid during the ’92-’93 riots. It was written from Ram’s point of view and titled Doosra Banvas:

Ram banwas se jab laut ke ghar mein aaye,
Yaad jungle bahut aaya jo nagar mein aaye
Raksse deewangee aangan mein jo dekha hoga.
6 December ko, Sri Ram ne socha hoga,

Itne deewane kahan se mere ghar mein aaye?
Jagmate the jahan Ram ke kadamon ke nishaan,
Pyaar ki kahkashan leti thi angdayee jahan,
Mod nafrat ke usi raah guzar mein aaye,
Dharm kya unka hai, kya zaat hai, yeh janta kaun?
Ghar na jalta to unhe raat mein pehchanta kaun,
Ghar jalane ko mera log jo ghar mein aaye,Shakahari hai mere dost tumhare khanjar.
Tumne Babbar ki taraf pheke the saare patthar,
Hain mere sar ke khata zakhm jo sar mein aaye,
Paun sarjumein abhi Ram ne dhoye bhi na the
Ke nazar aaye wahan khoon ke gehre dhabbe.
Paun dhoye bina sarju ke kinare se uthe,
Ram ye kehte hue apne dwaare se uthe,
Rajdhani ki phaza aaye nahin raas mujhe.
6 December ko mila doosra banvaas mujhe.

It is not in our hands that we are born to different religions, so who is anyone to kill us because of our names? I truly believe that the common man in India loves his country, but over the years he has become paralysed with fear and anxiety over losing his identity. Twenty-five years ago, my husband addressed the issue in his very complex poem Bahurupini

Aandhiyon mein azan di maine
Shankh phuka andheri raaton mein,
Ghar ke bahar salib latkayi,
Ek, ek dar se isko thukraya,
Sheher se door jaake phek aaya,
Aur elaan kar diya ke utho,
Barf si jam gayi hain seenon par
Garm boso se isko pighla do.
Aaj ki raat jashne aadam hain,
Ye meri aastin se nikli
Rakh diya daud ke chirag pe haath,
Mal diya phir andhera chehre par.
Hoth se dil ki baat laut gayi,
Dar tak aake baraat laut gayi,
Isne mujhko alag bulake kaha,
Aaj ki zindagi ka naam hain khauff,
Khauff hi woh zameen hain jismein
Phirke ugte hain, phirke palte hain,
Dhaare sagar se katke chalte hain.
Khauff jab tak dilo mein baaki hain
Sirf chehra badalte rehna hain,
Sirf lehja
badalte rehna hai.
Koi mujhko mita nahi sakta Jashme aadam mana nahi sakta.

(This interview was conducted before Kaifi Azmi’s demise)