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With Ayodhya’s Buddhist history unearthed, it’s now Kashi and Mathura’s turn

Travelogues and fresh archaeological evidence point to Ayodhya being a Buddhist centre for centuries, before Brahmanism displaced Buddhism, ironically, when the Mughals were in power. Kashi and Mathura likely followed a similar trajectory

The 1990s witnessed two landmark political movements, Mandal and Kamandal. The Mandal movement was for social justice while Kamandal (or Ram Temple) movement cried foul at the religious injustice. The Ram Temple agitators, despite their rightwing religious coating, seemed to put forward one logical argument: Their movement is to correct a historical wrong; Muslim invaders and rulers destroyed many Hindu temples, including that built in Ram’s birthplace; what is wrong in reclaiming those in a modern secular state?

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About The Author

Ratnesh Katulkar

Ratnesh Katulkar is a social scientist at the Indian Social Institute, New Delhi. He has been active in the Dalit Movement and has recently authored a book ‘Babasaheb Dr Ambedkar aur Adivasi Prashn?'

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