Three Indian judges today ruled that the disputed religious site in Ayodhya, claimed by both Muslims and Hindus, should be shared by both communities. In one of the longest awaited and most controversial judgments in India's history, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court decided against the claim by the Muslim community that they should be allowed to rebuild a 16th century mosque demolished by Hindu extremists in 1992.
The destruction of the mosque, known as the Babri Masjid, 18 years ago sparked some of India's worst religious rioting since independence, leading to over 2,000 deaths and widespread rioting between Hindus and Muslims in many cities, including Delhi and Mumbai. Today's decision is being seen as a crucial test of India's commitment to secularism and rule of law.
The site has for years been heavily policed. Hindus destroyed the Mosque, in an act widely seen as violent desecration, as they believe historically that the Ayodhya mosque, built in 1528 by the Mughal Emperor Babur, had been erected at the birthplace of Rama more than 150 years previously. The conflict was aggravated in 1949 when idols of Rama appeared in the mosque. Hindu extremist groups and the BJP then exploited the issue to build mass popular support in the 1980s. As is often the case in India, religion has been politicized.
Awaiting the decision and hoping to avoid mass rioting between the two communities, schools and offices remained shut across India as a huge security operation involving hundreds of thousands of troops and paramilitaries across the country got underway. Police arrested more than 10,000 people to prevent them from inciting violence, while another 100,000 had to sign affidavits saying they would not cause trouble after the verdict, officials said. Helicopters hovered over holy sites in the state as people entering temples were checked with metal detectors. The government also extended its ban on bulk texting to stop people from sending mass messages that could incite violence. Over 40,000 police fanned out across the city of Mumbai, which erupted in anti-Muslim riots and retaliatory bombings after the mosque's demolition in 1992, but has played host to scattered peace marches in recent days. In Hyderabad, capital of the southern Andhra Pradesh state, authorities deployed more than 20,000 additional police. Some 460 arrests to stop possible violence were made, while liquor stores were closed and religious processions and meetings were barred across the country.
The timing is unfortunate, only three days before the Commonwealth Games opening in Delhi, and today's decision poses another security threat to the thousands of athletes and dignitaries already in India. More, including Prince Charles, are due to arrive before the opening ceremony this weekend. Ayodha is around 350 miles east of the Indian capital.
Sonia Gandhi, the president of the center-left Congress party, asked Indians to accept the judgment. "I request you keep faith in the Indian judiciary and maintain peace, mutual respect and brotherhood at any cost. Emotional unity is the greatest strength of India," Gandhi said.
"There should be no attempt whatsoever made by any section of the people to provoke any other section or to indulge in any expression of emotion that would hurt the feelings of other people," the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, said in an advertisement published in Indian newspapers.
The passions roused by the issue have threatened India's multi-ethnic, secular democracy. It will be a measure of Indian tolerance that peace rather than violence is the reward. Meanwhile, the country is on tenterhooks for the next 24 hours to see how the communities react. One hopes that a more civilized and tolerant society will be the dominant force.
Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/culture-articles/huge-test-for-india-as-ayodhya-verdict-handed-down-3403814.html#ixzz11SWDX4Fe
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Monday, October 4, 2010
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