In a Facebook post, a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the 1992 batch, Manisha Patankar Mhaiskar, has revealed that she and her colleagues celebrated the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

Currently serving as the Maharashtra’s Additional Chief Secretary for the Public Works Department, Mhaiskar shared her memories in a lengthy post on the day of Ram temple consecration, beginning with the slogan “Jai Shri Ram.” She expressed how life had come full circle as the Ram Temple was inaugurated in Ayodhya on the same site where the mosque once stood.

Reflecting on the events of December 6, 1992, Mhaiskar recalled that it was a cold day in Mussoorie, where the 1992 batch of IAS officers was undergoing its Foundation Course. As news of the developments at the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya reached them, a discreet meeting was organized, and Mhaiskar, with her Nagpur roots, received an invitation. During the meeting, some probationers were chanting “Jai Shri Ram,” and Mhaiskar vividly remembered eating a Kesar pedha, feeling that the Ayodhya events marked the beginning of something positive and auspicious.

Nagpur, being the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), holds significance in Hindutva-related affairs. However, the news of the celebration got leaked, and participants, including the 1992 batch, were issued notices. The batch was labeled disappointing, mainly comprising easily excitable small-town individuals. Questions were raised about the state of secularism and the contrast with the supposedly posh, smart, and privileged kids from other backgrounds.

Despite the criticism, Mhaiskar emphasized that life continued with its ups and downs, but the belief persisted that the events of December 6, 1992, marked the beginning of something powerful and positive. She concluded her post by mentioning that, on the eve of the idol consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, she ate a `kesari pedha,` recalling the seminal moment of December 6 and the positive and auspicious feelings associated with it.

Accompanying her message, Mhaiskar shared a photograph of herself feeding sweets to her husband Milind Mhaiskar, also an IAS officer from the 1991 batch and an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. (With inputs from PTI)

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