Happy lived to see Ayodhya verdict: Dalit who laid the first brick

In 1989, as a 35-year-old Sah Sangathan Mantri of the VHP, Choupal, along with a thousand other people from various parts of Bihar had boarded “trains, cars and trucks” to reach Ayodhya.

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“We stayed in a camp designated for people from Bihar. The Shankaracharyas and the entire Dharm Sansad was there. It was decided that a person from a deprived section of society would lay the first foundation brick. (Late) VHP leader Ashok Singhal told me I was chosen,” recalls Choupal. “ It was an emotional moment for me.”

After 1989, says Choupal, he has been associated with every movement related to the Ram Temple and Ayodhya. Talking about the days leading up to the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992, Choupal says, “Lakhs of karsevaks had gathered at Ayodhya… We had been waiting for a decision. The demolition of the mosque was a spontaneous outburst… I was not part of it though,” says Choupal.