“‘Karsevak’ Rajendra Dharkar was just 17 when he fell to a bullet in 1990 Police firing in Ayodhya”, Swarajyamag, January 2, 2024:
“Ravindra Prasad Dharkar stands at the end of a narrow street in Ayodhya, his hand pointing towards a yellow metal gate. “This wasn’t here in our childhood,” he reminisces. “Back then, this was just open ground, a shortcut for us kids to the Ram Janmabhoomi – our playground.”
The gate, which is always locked, is a post-1990 addition, a year marked by personal tragedy for Ravindra: the loss of his elder brother, Rajendra Prasad Dharkar, during a ‘karseva‘ incident. Rajendra, nine years older than him, was just 17.
The October 30 of that year was pivotal. It was the first of two days when police, under the orders of the then-state government led by Mulayam Singh Yadav, opened fire on karsevaks. The second occurrence was on 2 November……”
Read the full article at Swarajyamag.com
