ABSTRACT
Advani made it clear that Ayodhya would remain the BJP's 'ideological mascot' and that Hindutva, the most distinctive feature of its ideology, was the 'short cut' to cultural nationalism. In the ebb and flow of Hindu-Muslim relations, the vandalism at Ayodhya represented a regressive current, in which brazen intimidation was seen to triumph in full view of the state machinery. Our focus, however, is on the liberal and secular discourse and its expression in the aftermath of Ayodhya, an aspect that is important for Muslims not as a religious collectivity but as equal citizens in a plural society. Anwar Ali Khan, the Prabhani-based convenor of the minority’s cell of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, concluded in October 1992 that the fracas over Ayodhya was far removed from the mind of the common Muslims. The Ayodhya episode was in that sense 'a turning point in the community's journey towards securing an honourable place in future India'.
