THE LAYERS OF HISTORY

THE WEEK discovers voices from places that shaped the Indian polity since independence

- PRATUL SHARMA

The name of a north Bengal village makes many shudder today. It came into the news five decades ago and modern-day dissenters are tagged to the name of the village: they are called “Urban Naxals”. Located 3km from the Nepal border, Naxalbari was the birthplace of an armed revolt by peasants, which gave a new term to the political lexicon. The armed Naxalites have a presence in over 50 districts. “This shows the relevance of Naxalbari even after 50 years,” said Abhijit Mazumdar, son of revolutionary Charu Mazumdar. “The flaming fields now have extended far and wide.”

Existing in a parallel narrative is Ayodhya, an ancient city being prepped as the Hindu capital of the country with Ram as the presiding deity. The temple, a symbol of Hindu nationalism, will be opened for darshan by December 2023. The city has sharply influenced the political history of the country and the fortunes of the BJP. Mahant Satyendra Das, the chief priest at the Ram Temple, also an eyewitness to the tumultuous events of Ayodhya, confirmed to THE WEEK that his Guru Abhiram Das placed the idol of Ram Lalla inside the disputed structure in 1949—an act that would change the course of the country.