Thursday 30 September 2010

Ayodhya Verdict- Land to be Divided between Hindus and Muslims




The whole nation waited with bated breath, glued to television sets when the verdict was disclosed to the media at about 4.30 PM.
The disputed land is to be divided between 2 Hindu groups and the
Muslim Board. On television Hindus displayed satisfaction and relief whilst the Muslims guardedly said they accepted the courts decision and would decide whether to challenge it in the Supreme Court.
An uneasy calm prevails everywhere and till now there have been no reports of violence or provocation. Extreme precaution has to be exercised from now onwards. Schools will remain closed. I shall refrain from going to the District Court tomorrow where I had some business to attend to. The streets are deserted and many shops closed by 3PM. The milieu remains dangerous and volatile.
In the media everybody is making fervent appeals for calm and communal harmony. But India is very unpredictable a small spark can ignite a blazing inferno. It is for people not to give in to their hurt religious sentiments and listen to rumours or provocation.
This is a historic moment for our country and we must stand together as children of one God.
According to media interpretations, no one has 'lost ' so to speak. Both religious groups should let go of the past and share the space allotted to them. I don 't know the details of the judgement but this much is clear. India can rise up to the occasion and show the world that people of different faiths can live in peace and harmony side by side.

Below is a news update from the New York Times website.
(All photos are taken from the Internet)

NEW DELHI — With the nation on high alert, an Indian court handed down a long-awaited decision on Thursday over control of the country’s most disputed religious site by splitting the land into three portions to be divided among Hindus and Muslims, according to lawyers in the case.

Rajesh Kumar Singh/Associated Press

Much of the detail and rationale behind the decision issued late Thursday by a three-judge panel in the state of Uttar Pradesh remained unclear. The court was expected to release the complete ruling only later in the evening. But lawyers in the case, interviewed on Indian news channels, said the panel had unexpectedly ruled by dividing the land in a way that gave something to both Hindus and Muslims after a legal battle that originated six decades ago.
The case focused on a site in the city of Ayodhya, which many Hindus have long claimed as the birthplace of the Hindu deity Ram, but which also was the site of a mosque, known as the Babri Masjid, built in the 16th century by India’s first Mughal ruler. In 1992, Hindu extremists destroyed the Babri Masjid, sparking riots that would claim the lives of about 2,000 people, mostly Muslims.
One of the central questions in the case had been whether a Hindu temple had existed on the site before the construction of the Babri Masjid. Lawyers in the case said the court’s ruling would reserve one-third of the land for construction of a temple to Ram, another third for another Hindu party to the case, while designating the final third for Muslims to build a mosque.
“The judgment is in favor of Hindus,” said H. S. Jain, a lawyer for one of the Hindu groups in the case. “The belief of Hindus that this is the birthplace of Ram is upheld.”
But Zafaryab Jilani, a lawyer representing one of the Muslim parties, denied that the ruling represented a loss to Muslims.
“There is no reason of any loss of hope,” Mr. Jilani said, noting that the judgment was several thousands pages long. He added: “We do not agree with the formula of giving one-third of the land to Muslims.”
Despite Thursday’s ruling, the court said that the status quo at the contested shrine would remain in place for three months. Lawyers representing both Muslim and Hindu groups said they would appeal the verdict to India’s Supreme Court.
The 1992 violence became a searing rebuke to modern India’s secular identity and deepened the religious passions invested in the Ayodhya case.
In recent weeks, India’s government has beseeched the public to remain calm, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the leaders of the major political parties issuing appeals for peace.

As a precaution, the Home Ministry deployed almost 200,000 paramilitary officers from both state and federal forces across Uttar Pradesh, which includes the contested site. One unit was assigned to stand guard outside the Taj Mahal in the city of Agra. The ministry also placed a temporary nationwide block on bulk text messages as a measure to block rumors or efforts to organize mass protests.
By early Thursday evening, with the details of the case becoming public through television reports, there were no reports of protests or violence. Earlier, P Chidambaram, the home minister, had predicted the Indian public would respect the court’s finding.
“I think, India has moved on, young people have moved on,” he told the Indian media. “I think young people have recognized that the India story is much more than a dispute over a place where one religious group claims they are entitled to [rather] than another religious group.”

Indian leaders have warned that an eruption of violence might derail the economic and social progress the country had made since the 1992 outbreak. The destruction of the Babri Masjid occurred a year after the national government initiated reforms that have transformed India into one of the world’s fastest growing major economies, if also a country of deep inequality. Moreover, the political potency of the Hindu nationalist movement, which took the destruction of the Babri Masjid as a rallying cry, has since eroded.
Hari Kumar contributed reporting.

17 Fertilize my soul:

Nadwrażliwiec said...

It seems very seriously. I hope there will no any conflict. Islam is political religion and it is closely connected with authority - I don't mean common people, who are Muslims, but I think about this system, which hates Christians, Hindus, Jews and other, who aren't Muslims.

डा0 हेमंत कुमार ♠ Dr Hemant Kumar said...

Amrita,
I think it's appreciable decision of high court.
Hemant

Amrita said...

Zimb,people of all religions should display restraint and self control in an emotional scenario.

Hemsntji, I think it is a good decision too, no one has 'lost ' so to speak. Now all partie s should agree to share the land and build their religious structures peacefully.That is the only solution. And it will show the world that different faiths can co-exsist peacefully side by side in India.
PS. My AirTel TV cable connection has gone off - wonder if its being blocked???

Felisol said...

DearAmrita,
I hope the result is not going to be about who lost or who won, but is this a compromise the nation can live with.
Still praying.
Yours Felisol

Anonymous said...

Dear Amrita, I hope cooler heads prevail and no problems erupt. Prays for your country. Love in Christ, Sally

p.s. Thanks for stopping by my blog even though I have not updated lately. You are so sweet. S.

David C Brown said...

It's good all is peaceful so far, and there seems to be some justice in the decision.

Keep praying!

monsoon dreams said...

sigh! of relief,ofcourse.I was very anxious since kerala was supposed to be one of the dangerous places.anyway,am glad that everything is peaceful as of now.

Amrita said...

Thank you my caring friends.

Friday morning has dawned peacfully, we Praise God for that.

Ash said...

Good to hear that things have concluded peacefully!

Anonymous said...

All seems well so far. It is an admirable decision by the Court.
All the best to you....

Hold my hand: a social worker's blog said...

Dear Amrita,

I hope that no violence erupts from that legal decision which seems to be fair. Praying for peace.

(((((( hugs )))))

Doris

Amrita said...

Hi Ash, Reenie and Doris,

W e praise God that things have been peaceful and people hav e not taken th e law into their own hands or given vent to their religious feelings.

Hi Ash, so glad to hear from you.

Reenie I hope your foot i s healing nicely.

Doris I admire your patience an d fortitude as you deal. with your charges.I am learning from you

Kathryn said...

I'm so thankful that thus far there has been no violence. Continuing to pray.

Amrita said...

Thank you for your prayers Kathryn. Religious intloerance is rampant in India, mostly instigated by fundamentalisat hard liners.. The younger generation thinks differently. Most of them don 't want to get involved in the religious tug of war. They are more concerned about the economic growth of our country.

Trish said...

Dear Amrita...I am praying for you all. And seeing more everyday that this world is not my home.
God be with you and give you peace.

Arts&Disability said...

Amrita,
Thank you for your notes. Internet here is slow also for overseas. Let me know if there is anything I can do on this end!
Love2U
His Sonshine

Unknown said...

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