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Showing posts with label Ayodhya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ayodhya. Show all posts
Thursday, September 30, 2010
The Ayodhya debate is a political, historical and socio-religious debate that was most prevalent in the 1990s in India, centred around a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya. The main issues revolve around access to a site traditionally regarded as the birthplace of the Hindu God Rama, the history and location of the Babri Mosque at the site, and whether a previous Hindu temple was demolished or modified to create the mosque. The Babri Mosque was destroyed by hardline Hindu activists during a political rally which turned into a riot on December 6, 1992.
History of Babri Masjid
A view of the Babri Mosque, pre-1992
When the Muslim emperor Babar came down from Farghana in 1527, he defeated the Hindu King of Chittorgarh, Rana Sangram Singh at Fatehpur Sikri, using cannon and artillery. After this victory, Babur took over the region, leaving his general, Mir Banki, in charge as Viceroy.
Mir Banki enforced Mughal rule over the population. Mir Banki came to Ayodhya in 1528 and built the Mosque. The main reason to build the Mosque in Ayodhya was because it served as a central point of India under the Mughal Empire. Later on the Mughal Empire shifted to Delhi.
Mir Banki after building the mosque named it after his master Babar.
Before the 1940s, the mosque was called Masjid-i Janmasthan ("mosque on birthplace") by Indian Muslims. The Babri Mosque was one of the largest mosques in Uttar Pradesh, a state in India with some 31 million Muslims.
Timeline of the debate
| Year | Date | Event[citation needed] |
|---|---|---|
| 1528 | The Babri Masjid was built in Ayodhya in 1528. Hindu groups claim it was built after demolishing a temple. | |
| 1853 | The first recorded communal clashes over the site date back to this year. | |
| 1859 | The colonial British administration put a fence around the site, denominating separate areas of worship for Hindus and Muslims. And that is the way it stood for about 90 years. | |
| 1949 | In December of that year, idols were put inside the mosque. Both sides to the dispute filed civil suits. The government locked the gates, saying the matter was sub-judice and declared the area “disputed”. | |
| 1984 | The movement to build a temple at the site, which Hindus claimed was the birthplace of Lord Ram, gathered momentum when Hindu groups formed a committee to spearhead the construction of a temple at the Ramjanmabhoomi site. | |
| 1986 | A district judge ordered the gates of the mosque to be opened after almost five decades and allowed Hindus to worship inside the “disputed structure.” A Babri Mosque Action Committee was formed as Muslims protested the move to allow Hindu prayers at the site. | |
| 1989 | The clamour for building a Ram temple was growing. Fronted by organizations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, foundations of a temple were laid on land adjacent to the "disputed structure." | |
| 1990 | The then BJP president Lal Krishna Advani took out a cross-country rathyatra to garner support for the move to build a Ram temple at the site. VHP volunteers partially damaged the Babri mosque. Prime Minister Chandrashekhar intervened and tried to negotiate with the various groups. But talks failed. | |
| 1991 | Riding high on the success of Advani's rathyatra, the BJP became India's primary opposition party in Parliament and came to power in Uttar Pradesh. | |
| 1991 | The movement for building a temple gathered further momentum with Karsevaks or Hindu volunteers pouring into Ayodhya. Bricks were sent from across India. | |
| 1992 | December 6 | The Babri mosque was demolished by Karsevaks. Communal riots across India followed. |
| 1992 | December 16 | Ten days after the demolition, the Congress government at the Centre, headed by PV Narasimha Rao, set up a commission of inquiry under Justice Liberhan. |
| 1993 | Three months after being constituted, the Liberhan Commission began investigations into who and what led to the demolition of the Barbri mosque. | |
| 2001 | Tensions rose on the anniversary of the demolition of the mosque as the VHP reaffirmed its resolve to build a temple at the site. | |
| 2002 | February 27 | At least 58 people were killed in Godhra, Gujarat, in an attack on a train believed to be carrying Hindu volunteers from Ayodhya. Riots followed in the state and over 1000 people were reported to have died in these. |
| 2003 | The court ordered a survey to find out whether a temple to Lord Ram existed on the site. In August, the survey presented evidence of a temple under the mosque. But Muslim groups disputed the findings. | |
| 2003 | September | A court ruled that seven Hindu leaders, including some prominent BJP leaders, should stand trial for inciting the destruction of the Babri Mosque. |
| 2004 | November | An Uttar Pradesh court ruled that an earlier order which exonerated LK Advani for his role in the destruction of the mosque should be reviewed. |
| 2007 | The Supreme Court refused to admit a review petition on the Ayodhya dispute. | |
| 2009 | The Liberhan Commission, which was instituted ten days after the demolition of the Barbri mosque in 1992, submitted its report on June 30 - almost 17 years after it began its inquiry. Its contents were not made public. | |
| 2010 | The Allahabad High Court to pronounce its verdict on four title suits relating to the Ayodhya dispute on September 30, 2010 |
Click to Expand & Play
Lucknow: Sixty years after it first went to court, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has pronounced judgment in the Ayodhya title suit, saying Hindus and Muslims are joint title holders.The three-judge bench - comprising Justice S U Khan, Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice D V Sharma - ruled in a majority judgment 2:1, that there be a three-way division of the disputed land - one-third for the Sunni Waqf Board, one-third for the Nirmohi Akhara and one-third to the party for 'Ram Lalla'.
Each of the three judges gave a summary of his own. In what can be seen as a reconciliation formula, Justice Khan pointed to the unprecedented nature of Hindus and Muslims worshipping together for centuries. (Read: Muslims, Hindus worshipped together, says Justice Khan)
And Justice Aggarwal observed that the inner courtyard of the building belonged to both Hindus and Muslims. (Read: Inner courtyard area belongs to Hindus & Muslims, says Justice Agarwal)
The Ayodhya judgment
In an order that runs into over 8,000 pages, the High Court has said that the portion below the central dome under which the idols of Lord Ram and other Gods are placed in a makeshift temple, belongs to Hindus. All three judges agreed that the portion under the central dome should be allotted to Hindus.
The Nirmohi Akhara, the judgment says, would get the Ram Chabutra and Sita Rasoi. (Read the judgement)
Ravi Shankar Prasad, BJP leader and senior advocate appearing for one of the litigants, emerged from court after the verdict to say, "this matter will be looked into in the next three months but the important part here is that court has taken a decision with the consent of the majority and that is that where Ram Lalla is (viraajman) is the birth place of Ram and that's what the Hindu's believe and even (Justice) SU Khan has also said that Ram Lalla will not be moved out from that place even when it will be divided into three."
Crucially, the court has said there shall be status quo at the site for three months.
There were two other majority findings, where one judge dissented and two agreed: that the disputed structure was a mosque and that a temple was demolished to build a mosque. Justice SU Khan held that no temple was demolished for constructing the mosque at the disputed structure. He said the mosque was constructed under orders of Babar over the ruins of temples lying in that state for a very long time. (Read: Ayodhya dispute timeline)
The judgment observed that the idols were placed beneath the central dome early on December 23, 1949.
The court dismissed two major claims to the land - one filed in 1989 on behalf Ram Lalla, or the infant Lord Ram, and the second by the Sunni Waqf Board filed in 1961. (Watch: Sunni Waqf Board's suit dismissed, says lawyer) | (Read: Sunni Waqf Board to appeal in Supreme Court)
The Sunni Waqf Board has said it does not agree with today's judgment and will appeal in the Supreme Court against it.
The chairman of the Sri Ram Janmbhoomi Trust, Nritya Gopal Das, too said they would challenge the decision to provide one-third of the disputed land to the Sunni Waqf Board in the Supreme Court. (Watch: The background to the Ayodhya dispute)
The dispute before the court was whether the 2.7 acres of disputed land on which the Babri Masjid stood before it was demolished on December 6, 1992, belongs to the Sunni Central Waqf Board or to the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha.
It has been a protracted legal battle, and people across the country have spoken in one voice on the need to maintain peace and harmony.
PM appeals for peace
After a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on security, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh issued an appeal to "all sections of the people to maintain peace and tranquility and to show respect for all religions and religious beliefs in the highest traditions of Indian culture... Let me also state that Government on its part remains fully committed to upholding the rule of law and maintaining peace, order and harmony...It is my hope that the response of the people of India to the judgement will be respectful, dignified and do our country proud.
He said the "orders delivered by the three Honourable Judges need to be examined carefully." "The correct conclusion, at this stage, is that the status quo will be maintained until the cases are taken up by the Supreme Court," he said. (Read: PM appeals for peace after verdict)
Temple politics back?
Only a few hours after the Ayodhya verdict, top leaders of the BJP met at party patriarch LK Advani's residence in New Delhi. After the meeting, Advani said, "In so far as the judgment upholds the right of the Hindus to construct a temple, it is a significant step forward toward the construction of a grand temple of the birthplace of Lord Ram." (Watch: Advani, Modi, others react to verdict)
Advani said the BJP believed the verdict opened a new chapter for national integration and a new era of inter-community relations and added that the party "is gratified that the nation has received the verdict with maturity." (Read: A new chapter of national integration, says Advani)
No politics, please, said the Congress. Senior leader in charge of UP Digvijaya Singh said, "no politics at this point."
Political parties appeal for calm
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said the "judgement has paved the way for theconstruction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The judgement is not a winor loss for anybody. We invite everybody, including Muslims, to helpbuild the temple." (Watch: Nobody's victory or loss, says RSS)
Bhagwat also said "joy and happiness over the verdict" should findexpression in a "controlled and peaceful manner" within the limits oflaw and constitution. "Uncalled for provocation must be avoided," headded, saying the movement for a Ram temple was "not a reactionary one,nor it is against any particular community."
Zafaryab Jilani, convenor of the All-India Babri Masjid Action Committee (AIBMAC), too said, "We hope peace and tranquillity will be maintained." Jilani said the "majority judgment is that mosque and temple must coexist."
The Congress welcomed the Ayodhya judgment saying everyone shouldaccept it and no one should treat it as a victory or defeat. "Congresshas held that the controversy should either be solved through talks orthe verdict of the court should be accepted. The court has given theverdict. We should all welcome the judgement," party general secretaryJanardhan Dwivedi told reporters. (Watch: Everyone should welcome Ayodhya judgement, says Congress)
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said, "I welcome the court'sdecision and appeal to all to maintain peace. We should all worktowards harmony. I am happy that the judgement now paves the way forbuilding a Ram temple in Ayodhya. This judgement will work as acatalyst for the country's unity." Modi's views were also echoed bysenior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi. (Watch: Narendra Modi on Ayodhya verdict)
CPM's Sitaram Yechury asked the people of India to maintain peace andnot fall prey to any provocation. "This judgement requires to be fullystudied. There may be questions on the nature of the verdict," the CPMPolitburo said in a statement.
UP Chief Minister Mayawati threw the ball in the Centre's court overthe implementation of the verdict and ensuring peace and harmony in thestate. She alleged that the Centre had not provided enough paramilitaryforces for security. (Watch: Upto the Centre to ensure compliance, says Mayawati)
A Muslim walks past security personnel standing vigil ahead of a potentially explosive court verdict on whether Hindus or Muslims should control a disputed holy site in Ayodhya.(AP Photo)
LUCKNOW: Schools, offices and markets remained open in Uttar Pradesh today but the low turnout indicated the underlying fear and apprehension among the people as they await the verdict of the Allahabad High Court on the Ayodhya title suit case. (Read: Possible outcomes of the Ayodhya case)
Though schools opened as usual in all the districts, the respective administrations opened and closed schools a little in advance.
Markets were also open but business was affected with lesser number of people flocking the streets.
In Faizabad and Ayodhya which means 'where no battle has been fought', people were waiting with bated breath the pronouncement of the verdict.
The administration is noting down the number of all vehicles entering Ayodhya town since morning and prayers are being held in all the mosques and temples. (Read: UP turns into a fortress ahead of Ayodhya verdict)
Though the shops and markets are open, no shop was set up in the Thursday weekly market in the Chowk area.
Surprisingly, there has been an increase in the number of pilgrims visiting the makeshift temple in the disputed area since yesterday including those from other states and adjoining districts.
"In both the shifts yesterday the turnout was much better than in the earlier few days", pujari of the temple, Acharya Satyendra Das said.
Though the entire nation's eyes are on Lucknow where the verdict would be pronounced, life is going about as normal as possible but traffic was less on the roads.
The situation here was better than that on September 23 when the streets had been more or less empty and the parents had preferred keeping their wards at home or the schools on their own announcing holidays.
In the communally-sensitive Moradabad, Aligarh, Bareilly and Rampur, life was near normal.
As a preventive measure, aerial survey, including at night, of sensitive places, including the Ram Janmbhoomi complex in Ayodhya has been done, police sources said, adding the force deployment has been such that it would take minimum time for them to reach any troubled spot. (Read: 22 Uttar Pradesh areas under air surveillance)
As there were no orders from the district administration, the schools and colleges were open but the attendance was on the lower side in all these districts.
A close eye is being maintained on organisations like the Babri Masjid Action Committee and Bajrang Dal in Moradabad.
In Aligarh, about 20 per cent shops were closed but the academic institutions including the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) were open.
In Rampur, appeals were being issued both by Hindu and Muslims religious leaders and organisations to maintain peace.
The region fears another eruption riding on today's verdict after large-scale violence post December 6, 1992 when a Hindu mob pulled down the Babri Masjid. (In Pics: Babri demolition)
Though schools opened as usual in all the districts, the respective administrations opened and closed schools a little in advance.
Markets were also open but business was affected with lesser number of people flocking the streets.
In Faizabad and Ayodhya which means 'where no battle has been fought', people were waiting with bated breath the pronouncement of the verdict.
The administration is noting down the number of all vehicles entering Ayodhya town since morning and prayers are being held in all the mosques and temples. (Read: UP turns into a fortress ahead of Ayodhya verdict)
Though the shops and markets are open, no shop was set up in the Thursday weekly market in the Chowk area.
Surprisingly, there has been an increase in the number of pilgrims visiting the makeshift temple in the disputed area since yesterday including those from other states and adjoining districts.
"In both the shifts yesterday the turnout was much better than in the earlier few days", pujari of the temple, Acharya Satyendra Das said.
Though the entire nation's eyes are on Lucknow where the verdict would be pronounced, life is going about as normal as possible but traffic was less on the roads.
The situation here was better than that on September 23 when the streets had been more or less empty and the parents had preferred keeping their wards at home or the schools on their own announcing holidays.
In the communally-sensitive Moradabad, Aligarh, Bareilly and Rampur, life was near normal.
As a preventive measure, aerial survey, including at night, of sensitive places, including the Ram Janmbhoomi complex in Ayodhya has been done, police sources said, adding the force deployment has been such that it would take minimum time for them to reach any troubled spot. (Read: 22 Uttar Pradesh areas under air surveillance)
As there were no orders from the district administration, the schools and colleges were open but the attendance was on the lower side in all these districts.
A close eye is being maintained on organisations like the Babri Masjid Action Committee and Bajrang Dal in Moradabad.
In Aligarh, about 20 per cent shops were closed but the academic institutions including the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) were open.
In Rampur, appeals were being issued both by Hindu and Muslims religious leaders and organisations to maintain peace.
The region fears another eruption riding on today's verdict after large-scale violence post December 6, 1992 when a Hindu mob pulled down the Babri Masjid. (In Pics: Babri demolition)
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