Today, December 6, 2025, marks 33 years since the tragic demolition of the Babri Mosque, an event whose pain and implications continue to resonate deeply within the collective memory of South Asia. On December 6, 1992, the historic Mughal-era mosque in Ayodhya was ruthlessly destroyed by Hindu extremist mobs, tearing a gaping hole in India’s secular foundation.
⚔️ The Act of Vandalism and Accountability Failure
🛡️ The Perpetrators
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The extremist attackers responsible for the demolition were associated with organizations including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), and Bajrang Dal. They utilized axes, hammers, and other tools to tear down the centuries-old structure.
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The former head of India’s Intelligence Bureau, Malloy Krishna, revealed that the Hindu extremist groups had reportedly planned the destructive operation nearly ten months prior to the actual demolition.
đź’” Human Cost and Complicity
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The demolition triggered widespread riots across India, resulting in the martyrdom of over 2,000 Muslims and leaving thousands injured, far exceeding official tallies.
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Senior BJP leaders, including L. K. Advani and Manohar Joshi, were documented inciting the crowds at the time of the demolition. A 2009 investigative report by Justice Manmohan Singh explicitly implicated 68 individuals, including these senior leaders.
đźš« Denial of Justice
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Human Rights Watch strongly condemned the desecration of the Babri Mosque as a serious violation of international norms and the religious rights of minorities.
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Despite a lengthy legal process, the Indian Supreme Court, on November 9, 2019, acquitted all the accused involved in the demolition of the Babri Mosque—a decision that shocked human rights observers globally.
International Reaction: Pakistan’s Foreign Office reacted by declaring the Babri Mosque part of their “collective memory” and expressed deep concern over the hoisting of a flag on the site where the temple is now being constructed. Furthermore, Human Rights Watch notes that since 1992, over 500 mosques have been destroyed and countless shrines demolished in the state of Gujarat alone.
