‘It’s Been 32 Years…’: The Forgotten Stories Of Ram Mandir Kar Sevaks

‘it’s been 32 years…’: the forgotten stories of ram mandir kar sevaks

Seema Gupta was eight years old at the time. Her father Vasudev Gupta used to run a sweet shop in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had given a call to gather at Ram Janmabhoomi, the birthplace of Lord Ram. Vasudev Gupta left his sweet shop and went to hoist a flag at the site that had seen contests for the last 400 years.

“My father was leading a group of kar sevaks when the police opened fire on the group. He died,” said Seema, recalling the events of October 30, 1992 to Organiser. Even after her father died, her mother continued to partake in the campaign for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

“My mother continued to be actively involved in the struggle for the Ram Temple, even after my father’s passing. Unfortunately, my mother also passed away while awaiting the construction of the temple,” says Seema, now 38 years old.

She used to run a clothes shop in Ayodhya’s Naya Ghat. But her shop was taken apart during a redevelopment project. Now, ahead of January 22, Gupta is happy that her father’s sacrifice has borne fruit.

Seema Gupta’s story is among hundreds of stories of families whose members had taken part in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement of 1992.

On October 30, 1992, thousands of kar sevaks across the country, travelled to Ayodhya responding to a call from the VHP to gather at Ram Janmabhoomi. People came in phases. On October 30, the Mulayam Singh government in the state had imposed a curfew. Following a series of events, the police opened fire.

Gayatri Pandey says her husband told her he is going for the work of Bhagwan Ram, and would return after the work was done. “But he was shot by the police during kar seva. For the following days, he didn’t return. We started looking for him. It was only after 3-4 days we found his dead body,” Pandey told the Organiser.

“Now, when the temple construction is in (its) final stage and Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla will take place there soon, I feel satisfied that my husband’s sacrifice has not gone in vain. His soul will find peace now,” she says. Her only sorrow is that her husband isn’t there to see this moment. “If my husband was there with us, the joy would have doubled.”

Gayatri has had a difficult life since her husband died. “My husband was a manager at a brick kiln. When he died, all the four children were small. I didn’t have much money. Life became tough for us, but I managed to raise my kids. As time passed, we learnt to face hardships.”

She hopes the government will come to her aid.

For many families who lost their dear ones in the Ram Mandir agitation, January 22 is a moment of culmination. Their hope is that the sacrifice made by their family members is remembered.