December 7th 2025.
As yet another 6th of December rolls around, it is only natural to reflect on the most pivotal movement in modern Indian history. This movement has had a lasting impact on our political landscape and continues to shape it even today.
It all began forty years ago when the BJP reached a plateau in terms of popularity, winning only 7% of the vote in 1984 and securing a mere two seats in the Lok Sabha. It was at this crucial point that LK Advani took over the reins of the party in 1986. Interestingly, Advani had never been involved in electoral politics before. His journey into the political arena started after his time as a journalist for the RSS magazine, where he wrote film reviews.
Unlike his peers, Advani had always been a nominated member, serving in the Delhi Council and the Rajya Sabha. As he mentions in his autobiography, he had no prior experience in mass mobilization and was not well-versed in its workings. The issue of Ayodhya, which was at the center of the movement, was actually initiated by non-political groups within the RSS, led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
The VHP declared their plan to lay the foundation stone for a temple in Ayodhya in November during the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad in February 1989. This involved creating bricks with the name of Lord Ram engraved on them and carrying them in processions across the country to Ayodhya. Up until this point, as Advani reveals in his autobiography, this issue had not gained much attention in mainstream politics.
However, things took a significant turn in June 1989, when at the BJP's national executive meeting in Himachal Pradesh, Advani threw his party's support behind the Ayodhya issue. The BJP's resolution demanded that the site be handed over to Hindus and that the mosque be relocated to a more suitable place.
The timing of these events was crucial, as just a few months later, in November 1989, elections were held. For the first time, the BJP's manifesto mentioned the Ayodhya issue, stating that the government's failure to allow the rebuilding of the Ram Janma Mandir in Ayodhya had caused social tensions and strained harmony. This stance was in direct violation of the party's own constitution, which pledged allegiance to the principle of secularism. A few days before the election, the VHP brought all its processions to Ayodhya and laid the foundation stone next to the mosque.
Thanks to this divisive and anti-Muslim demand, the BJP saw a significant surge in support, winning 85 seats. This was four times more than their previous performance and over forty times more than what their leader Vajpayee had achieved in 1984. For Advani, this was a resounding success and a recipe for electoral triumph.
Buoyed by this success, Advani began to invest more time and effort into the Ayodhya issue. The Congress lost its majority in the election, and a coalition government led by VP Singh took power with support from the BJP, albeit for a brief period. Just three months after the election, in February 1990, the VHP resumed its mobilization against the mosque and announced plans to carry out kar seva (voluntary service) in October.
According to Advani, the escalation of this issue was not planned but happened by accident. In his autobiography, he recounts an interview he gave to the RSS journal Panchajanya just before his trip to London in June. In this interview, he was asked what would happen if the government failed to resolve the Ayodhya matter. Advani responded by saying that the BJP supported starting kar seva on 30 October and that if it was stopped, the party would lead a mass movement. To his surprise, this interview made headlines, and the die was cast.
After this, Advani attempted to make a deal with the Muslim community, offering to stop the VHP from campaigning against two other mosques in Mathura and Varanasi if they handed over the Babri Masjid. However, this offer was not accepted, much to Advani's disappointment and annoyance. He went ahead with his campaign against the mosque, beginning on 25 September 1990, which was the birthday of Deendayal Upadhyaya, a prominent figure in the RSS. His plan was to ride a "chariot" to Ayodhya on 30 October.
Advani was astounded by the overwhelming response to his campaign. He had never realized the deep-rooted religiosity among the Indian people. As he writes in his autobiography, "religion is the soul of India, and if you want to teach Indians on any subject, they understand it better in the language of religion." At each stop along the way, Advani spoke about why the Babri Masjid needed to be taken down, using religious language and metaphors in his short speeches, which lasted no longer than five minutes. The consequences of this reduction can only be imagined, and it led to a significant outbreak of violence across the country.
The violence that followed Advani's decision to politicize and mobilize on a communal issue was devastating, with over 3,400 people losing their lives. However, this movement also brought the BJP to the brink of power. In the general elections held in mid-1991, the BJP won 20% of the vote and 120 seats. And in the first election held after the demolition of the mosque in 1996, the party's tally rose to 161 seats. Since then, the BJP has cemented its position as the only party actively pursuing divisive politics, and they have been rewarded for it.
Through his actions, Advani had inadvertently paved the way for the BJP's rise to power. His decision to politicize the Ayodhya issue had far-reaching consequences, shaping the political landscape of India. Today, on this 6th of December, we cannot help but reflect on the events that unfolded and continue to shape our nation.
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