The Babri Masjid Ram Mandir Dilemma- Madhav Godbole

The Babri Masjid-Ram Mandir Dilemma: An Acid Test for India’s Constitution forcefully asserts that the Babri Masjid could have been saved by the timely intervention of Rajiv Gandhi in the initial years before political positions hardened, V.P. Singh remaining firm after promulgating an ordinance vesting the specified area in and around the Babri Masjid in the Central government, and, P.V. Narasimha Rao taking timely action when the Babri Masjid was under serious threat.

Written by Madhav Godbole, former Union Home Secretary and Secretary, Justice, who was closely associated with the events when the Babri Masjid was demolished, the book provides rare insights through its comprehensive and detached analysis. It throws light on how all major Constitutional bodies failed in discharging their responsibilities.

After the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, India is being perceived by some as a Hindu country. Strengthening secularism is its foremost challenge. The book is a must-read for leaders of public opinion, parliamentarians, jurists, media stalwarts, professionals, administrators, and the young generation. For, what is at stake is India’s future.”

Dr Madhav Godbole was Union Home Secretary when the Babri Masjid was demolished in December 1992. He subsequently took voluntary retirement in March 1993. Pune-based Godbole, who also served as Justice Secretary, has held several high positions in the bureaucracy in the 1980s and early 1990s.