India’s top court to hear Ayodhya dispute on daily basis
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NEW DELHI: India’s top court will hear arguments every day in an effort to resolve a decades-old dispute over what should be built on the ruins of a 16th-century mosque, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said on Friday.
The move strengthens hopes for eventual resolution of a quarrel at the centre of fraught ties between India’s majority Hindus and its Muslim community, which accounts for 14 percent of a population of 1.3 billion.
Many devout Hindus believe the site in Ayodhya, in India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, to be the birthplace of one of their most revered deities, the Lord Ram.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case every day to help resolve the dispute, Gogoi told a packed courtroom, after a mediation panel had proved unable to reach an amicable settlement.
“The mediation proceedings have not resulted in any final settlement,” Gogoi said.
“We, therefore, have to proceed with the hearing of the appeals, which will commence from August 6.”
The hearings will be held on a “day-to-day basis”, he added.
In June, hundreds of Hindu monks gathered under the banner of a group linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party to urge the government to help build a temple in Ayodhya.
The dispute over the site in northern Uttar Pradesh state is one of the most polarising issues in India, whose history is pockmarked with horrific Hindu-Muslim communal clashes.
In 1992, a militant Hindu mob tore down the centuries-old mosque, triggering riots that killed about 2,000 people in one of the worst instances of communal violence in India since the country’s independence from British colonial rule in 1947.
Hindu groups insist there was a temple at the site before the mosque was built by a Muslim ruler in 1528.
After the demolition of the mosque in the early 1990s, the Supreme Court took control of the controversial site.
In March, the Supreme Court appointed an arbitration panel, headed by former judge F. M. Kalifulla to mediate in the dispute.
Other than keeping control of the site, the Supreme Court has weighed petitions from both communities on what should be built there.
Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2019
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Comments (47) Closed
Aug 03, 2019 09:31am
Babar was foreigner, Islam belongs to non-Indian region. I have personally seen temple in Ajmer which was historically damaged by invaders. Nothing wrong in correcting History. But, that does never mean that we hate Islam or do not love our fellow Muslim citizens. We only say, we beg for our right, do not test our patience for centuries. And, we are not demanding Kashi & Mathura at this moment of critical time, we will do so after our first victory.
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Aug 03, 2019 09:41am
People in Pakistan might be thinking that in India Mosques are destructed regularly. While This depleted mosque, where temple is found beneath, People couldnt construct Temple even after 30 years. and even after BJP's govt in State and Center Both !
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Aug 03, 2019 09:57am
This is the power of true democracy....A majorty of 80% Hindu not able to build a temple for decades respecting the views of minorities and trying to reach a amicable solution.
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Aug 03, 2019 10:04am
RSS and BJ P are going to celebrate it I suspect. .
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Aug 03, 2019 10:05am
Cosmetic courts. . We all know how potent hard-core ongoing hindutva ideology is. . !
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Aug 03, 2019 10:06am
Babar is our hero and we should not allow any other structure at the site of his mosque. PM Imran should protest against India.
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Aug 03, 2019 10:13am
Thank You Jinnah.
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Aug 03, 2019 10:22am
The issue will never resolve as the HInduvta slogan by BJP have pledged their success on this and turned Indians masses (almost 99%) into fanatics ignoring basic human rights and supporting criminals
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Aug 03, 2019 10:38am
If this is the case in Pakistan, it may not wait for court verdict..
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Aug 03, 2019 10:44am
One of the big black marks. No justice expected either.
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Aug 03, 2019 10:50am
Violence against muslims has become very common in India and needs an immediate solution.
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Aug 03, 2019 11:46am
Lahore high court once gave a decision of building a Gurudwara over mosque which was built by demolishing Gurudwara by violent muslim militants.
Muslims rules in India destroyed many temples and built useless mosques and many officers including Muslim officers of Archaeological Survey of India have said there are enough evidence of temple there before Mosque.
So Temple should be built at this pace as that was the original building over there.
muslims claim they are very peaceful community, it's their test.
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Aug 03, 2019 11:54am
@Master, No it is not democracy, it is due to Muslims and non Muslims around the world taking note about what is happening in India and the government worried about it's PR for investors.
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Aug 03, 2019 11:55am
How many temples are destroyed in Pakistan?? Surya Mandir in Multan still in collapsed conditions nobody takes care, Ram mandir in Rawalpindi, Devi Temple in Sibi which still collapses and in dire situations.
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Aug 03, 2019 12:09pm
With this RSS Govt, Hindutva radicalization amongst Indians and hatred towards Abrahamic religions in general and Islam in particular, Babri Masjid has no hope.
A country where ruling politicians believe only cow inhales/exhales oxygen and Lord Ganesh is an example of plastic surgery performed 5000 years ago, minorities have no hope.
Thank You Jinnah. it took us 70 years to realize you were right.
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Aug 03, 2019 12:11pm
india has become a FASCIST state.
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Aug 03, 2019 12:19pm
There are thousands of Temples in India and everybody knows what is happening insde these temples. You read it everyday in the newpapers.
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Aug 03, 2019 12:31pm
I hate court orders what is we are waiting for 30 years after demolition. even after everybody knows the truth.
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Aug 03, 2019 12:40pm
Court wasted lot of time in asking parties for meditation, which remained unresolved..
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Aug 03, 2019 12:43pm
@Faran, its India's internal issue. Let Imran look into Pak's financial issue
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Aug 03, 2019 12:48pm
@ZZQ, The Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Gyanvapi Masjid (incensed to see remnants of the demolished temple walls along the Mosque rear wall) in Varnasi & the Shahi Idgah Masjid in Mathura are just some of the instances of Mosques being built over Hindu temples destroyed by the builders of the mosque (Somnath Mandir is irrefutable evidence of this phenomenon). Until the British came along, access to these temples was restricted by the Muslim rulers of these regions. While the yoke of colonialism was supposedly shed, Hindus have yet to secure complete religious freedom in their own land. It is fearing this eventuality that Muslims asked for Pakistan & got it too but the Hindus have yet to make good on the promises of partition as envisaged by those who conceived it.
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Aug 03, 2019 12:49pm
@Faran, why Babar is your hero. I am curious to know. Probably your ancestors at that time were Hindus, possibly some of them were killed by the Invaders, then some were converted to Islam either forcefully or it's convenient or may be they felt it looked attractive to them. In the above scenario how has Babar became your hero, unless your ancestors also came from Afghanistan and benefitted from invasion. Not that I am anti Babar or anything, believe in letting bygones go. Definitely no animosity towards any community .
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Aug 03, 2019 12:50pm
@Faran, On how many issues would Imran Khan protest to India?
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Aug 03, 2019 12:50pm
@Master, Nothing to celebrate here when the mosque was so brutally and unceremoniously destroyed 30 years back. Will a mosque ever be rebuilt there? Never. Rest is just drama to show the world India is secular when it’s anything but.
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Aug 03, 2019 01:03pm
Strange Jurisprudence in the world's most colossal democracy housing the world's tallest idol.
Ayodhya is basically a criminal problem festering in India since 22 December 1949 when a Ram idol was forcibly installed in Babri Masjid in the dead of night with help from a serving magistrate and 6 December 1992 when the mosque was vandalised by the leading senior politicians of India and helped by the provincial government, and the land forcibly converted into a Hindu temple. To treat it as a civil dispute between Hindus and Muslims is ludicrous. Any just judicial resolution of the property dispute should be on the basis of a judgment on the criminal acts. Mediation with criminals is not the way of a democratic society.
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Aug 03, 2019 01:07pm
Some of the Indians on this forum don't really know the basic problem here. You can't wipe out a religion and thinking everything is fine and that there wont be any reaction to this. Millions of Indians work and live in Muslim majority countries so if everyone else started doing what has been going in India for the past decade or so then you'll have a real mess at your hands. Common people be Hindus or Muslims dont have any problem with each other, that much is never disputed, problem happens when religion is used for politics, that is a dangerous game my friends.
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Aug 03, 2019 01:10pm
@Faran, you should be ashamed of your statement dear brother, don't believe me read history and you will come to know what cruelties these invaders have done to the people(ansisters of you and me are common, if not please do a dna test) of this land.
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Aug 03, 2019 01:18pm
India is a secular country where all religions are granted equal status and freedom by Constitution of India. The judiciary is completely independent who takes decisions as per law of the land and not based them on emotions or religious faiths. The Apex Court on this issue had granted time to both parties to reach an agreement which unfortunately did not materialise. The court has now decided to hear the case on daily basis shall announce its decision based on merits of the case. Both parties have already given in writing that they will fully abide by the decision of the Supreme Court. Long live India.
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Aug 03, 2019 01:22pm
Their forefathers decided to remain and their children are now paying the price as second class poor citizen.
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Aug 03, 2019 01:23pm
@Bhaarteey, Are you acknowledging that religions like Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Jainism etc are not universal but only region specific. Does Lord Ram only belong to India and Hindus ? Did he not create the rest of universe? It is simpletons like you pretending to be lord almighty's devotees who are the root of all problem.
Why religions create problem, why one's devotion to supreme almighty leads to violence and not love? Why instead of opening boundaries, it leads to creating and closing boundaries?
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Aug 03, 2019 01:25pm
Mandir wahi banayenge...
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Aug 03, 2019 01:27pm
@Bhaarteey, It was because of your flawed notion that Islam is not Indian that devided the country in 1947 and Kashmir is still on fire. Had you been democratic and secular as you claim then every religion within India would be Indian. In one brush you alienated 250 million Indian-Muslims and millions of Christians.
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Aug 03, 2019 02:04pm
Building a temple won't eliminate poverty..,....poverty is our common enemy.....fight to finish it.....
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Aug 03, 2019 02:34pm
What religious significance does so called Babari Mosque has in Islam? Just. Mosque like thousands all over. Hasn't any mosque ever been demolished for any purposes.hundres
in Pakistan itself .Now the excavation at that site has proved that this mosque was built on a temple by demoliting it.This facts are on record and more importantly official report is given by a Muslim archeologist assigned by court for this purpose.
Muslim community would have earned good will had they volunteerly given up this site.
If court gives ruling in favour of Temple ,which it must keeping archeological finding in view,Muslims community will face bigger problem in Kashi and Mathur temple cases.
For those reader who do not know about these two other cases , please google to see photos how invaders constructed Mosques just touching these two other holy temples.
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Aug 03, 2019 02:40pm
@Bhaarteey, "Babar was foreigner..."
But no such gripe with British Raj, your colonial masters?
Romans too were 'foreigners' invading Europe, so were Vikings, so were invaders in the US, so on and so forth.
Take pride in your history but the problem is you are busy hindu-fying history ("correcting History") due to your fragile self-esteem!
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Aug 03, 2019 02:42pm
@Bhaarteey, you know who are true Indians? According to your logic most of the civilizations should be destroyed what a stupid argument. Btw you are not true Indian
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Aug 03, 2019 02:51pm
@Faran, You can a structure for your hero in your own country,
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Aug 03, 2019 03:11pm
In the name of religion Hindu Indians defend what has happened in the past , demolition of a religious place and massacre of mostly Muslims. History aside, they were driven by hate and used by politicians, who today are in power. Arguments given Is Islam does not belong to this region, and we are unable to build a Mandir till this day despite having bjp in power. This is going to be Indi with there own twisted interpretation of history where minorities will be persecuted and humiliated in the name of religion. Shameful state of affairs. Good luck with your future
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Aug 03, 2019 03:39pm
Seems like closer of long standing dispute very near.
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Aug 03, 2019 03:41pm
When will those who destroyed babri mosque will be brought to justice.
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Aug 03, 2019 03:46pm
Indian kangaroo courts in action once again wherein, independent, neutral, unbiased and third-party historical data confirm that true justice is not only delayed in India since August 15, 1947 but also denied as per their standard norms, values, principles and practices.
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Aug 03, 2019 03:59pm
@Bhaarteey, Every one is foreigner In India except the local Drawars, how you (Aryans) treat with them, now they are untouchable (Achhuts).
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Aug 03, 2019 06:15pm
@Fazalpk,
Fazal Bhai,
pl First worry about the rule of law in your country.. there is no future for you here. it seems total chaos on the streets.. pious men flashing their private parts towards girls riding bike rickshaws.. rampant bachchabazi and what not.. not to mention all round pessimism about the state of affairs of the economy..
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Aug 03, 2019 08:43pm
Should build a hospital, so both communities take benefit from it.
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Aug 03, 2019 09:11pm
It’s a land dispute, wakf board will be given land elsewhere or will get price for it. The money or land can be used for betterment of community.
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Aug 03, 2019 09:12pm
Who cares?
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Aug 03, 2019 11:06pm
@Jehengir khan, look who is talking the one who demolished all temples, persucted minorities and gsving blasphemy law to settle personal enemity. Please share ur knowledge with ur govt and mullahs.
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