Witness the intersection of belief, politics and justice in the enduring dispute over Ayodhya’s sacred soil
On a frosty morning of December 6, 1992, the ancient city of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh was abuzz with anticipation. A sea of people had assembled, their gaze locked on the historic 16th-century edifice, the Babri Masjid. The atmosphere was laden with tension, a socio-political conflict that had been brewing for years was on the brink of explosion.
As the day unfolded, the gathering morphed into a horde of ‘kar sevaks’, and the mood shifted from expectancy to hostility. The assembly, orchestrated by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had spiralled into chaos. The crowd overpowered the security forces and initiated the demolition of the mosque. By dusk, the Babri Masjid, an emblem of age-old heritage, was levelled to the ground.
The origin of the conflict harks back to the 16th century with the construction of the Babri Masjid by Mughal emperor Babur. The mosque was erected on a site that Hindus believed to be the birthplace of Lord Rama, a deity held in high esteem in Hinduism. This assertion sparked a long-standing dispute between Hindus and Muslims over the site’s ownership. The Ram Janmabhoomi dispute’s roots are embedded in the belief among certain Hindu factions that the Babri Masjid was constructed in Ayodhya after razing a Ram Temple that signified the deity’s birthplace. The Hindu factions sought exclusive rights to the land, arguing that Lord Ram was born at the exact location where the mosque’s central dome was later built. However, the Muslim factions maintained that the mosque was erected in 1528 by Mir Baqi, a commander in Babur’s army, without demolishing any place of worship.
A Turning Point in History
In the 1980s, VHP and BJP reignited the dispute, launching a campaign to erect a temple dedicated to Lord Rama at the contested site. This campaign was reportedly a part of a broader political strategy by the BJP to consolidate the Hindu vote. To rally support for this cause, the VHP organised a series of religious meetings, cross-country marches, and processions throughout the 1980s.
The Ram Mandir movement gained significant momentum in 1989 when the VHP conducted a ‘shilanyas’ — a foundation stone-laying ceremony — at the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site. This movement catapulted the VHP, the BJP, and the Hindutva ideology into the limelight of Indian politics.
These events were part of a complex and contentious historical and political issue in India. They played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s contemporary political landscape. This period in history continues to influence political discourse and policy-making in India. The campaign reached its zenith with the ‘kar seva’ on December 6, 1992, a mass movement that aimed to perform voluntary work (karseva) towards the construction of the temple.
The ‘kar sevaks’, or volunteers, were mobilised from across the country. They were driven by a sense of religious duty and nationalistic fervour. The rally was intended to be a peaceful demonstration, but it quickly spiralled out of control. The ‘kar sevaks’, in their enthusiasm, overwhelmed the security forces and began to demolish the mosque.
The demolition of the Babri Masjid sparked widespread communal violence across India, resulting in the loss of many lives. It also deepened the socio-political divide in the country, with repercussions that are felt to this day. This event marked a significant turning point in the history of India, the effects of which continue to reverberate in the socio-political fabric of the nation.
The Legal Battle and Its Implications
The idol of Lord Ram, also known as Ram Lalla, which was purportedly found inside the Babri Masjid on the night of December 22-23, 1949, led to the initiation of the first court case in 1950.
The legal proceedings surrounding the Ayodhya-Babri Masjid dispute can be traced back to as early as 1885. Mahant Raghubar Dass, identifying himself as the “mahant of the janmasthan,” filed a suit seeking permission to construct a temple on a 17 feet x 21 feet platform (Chabutra) outside the mosque. For many decades, the dispute remained dormant and the site was continuously in the possession of Muslims. However, on the night of December 22-23, 1949, a large crowd of Hindus surreptitiously entered the premises and installed idols of Ram under the central dome, reigniting the legal battle. This event led to a series of cases filed by various parties, culminating in the final judgment by the Supreme Court in 2019.
The idol of Lord Ram, also known as Ram Lalla, which was purportedly found inside the Babri Masjid on the night of December 22-23, 1949, led to the initiation of the first court case in 1950. This event was orchestrated by Abhiram Das, a local sadhu of the Nirvani akhara, who led three others into the mosque with the idol. This incident set in motion a complex legal battle that lasted for several decades.
After this, the site was declared a “disputed property” by the government. The gates of the mosque were locked to maintain law and order and to prevent any further escalation of the situation. No Muslim prayers were offered at the mosque since then. However, daily puja was allowed. This was a significant event in the history of the Babri Masjid dispute.
This marked the onset of a complex legal battle that spanned nearly seven decades. In the wake of this event, several court cases were filed. In 1950, Gopal Singh Visharad of the Hindu Maha Sabha and Paramhansa Ramachandra Das filed suits for rights to worship the Ram Lalla idol found at disputed site. In 1959, the Nirmohi Akhara, a Hindu religious institutionfiled another suit seeking possession of the disputed site followed by the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board filing a counter suit for possession of the Babri Masjid siteIn 1961.
In 1986, a local court ordered the government to open the site to Hindu worshippers. Several land title suits, initiated by Gopal Singh Visharad, Nirmohi Akhara, The Sunni Central Board of Waqfs U.P., and Bhagwan Sri Ram Virajman and Others in 1989, were adjudicated by the Allahabad High Court on 30 September 2010. In the judgment, the three judges of the Allahabad High Court ruled that the 2.77 acres of Ayodhya land be divided into three parts. However this judgment was stayed in appeals filed by the dissatisfied parties to the case in Supreme Court which later gave its final verdict on the dispute.
The Faizabad court inthe case filed by Gopal Singh Visharad of the Hindu Maha Sabha and Paramhansa Ramachandra Das, granted them permission to conduct rituals and pray at the disputed site. However, the court ordered that the inner courtyard should remain locked. This order allowed Hindus to worship at the site, but the area remained disputed. Later, the Supreme Court affirmed the right of the plaintiff in Gopal Singh Visharad’s case, to worship at the disputed property. However, this was subject to any restrictions imposed by the relevant authorities with respect to the maintenance of peace and order and the performance of orderly worship. This marked a significant event in the history of the Babri Masjid dispute.
Simultaneously, asignificant outcome was arrived in the 1959 suit filed by the Nirmohi Akhara, to seeking possession of the disputed site and the counter suit by the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board in 1961 for possession of the Babri Masjid siteand demanded the removal of Lord Ram’s Idols from the premises. In September 2010, deciding the suits, the Allahabad High Court ruled that the 2.77 acres of disputed land would be divided equally into three parts. The court ruled that the site should be split, with the Muslim community (represented by the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board) getting control of a third, Hindus another third, and the Nirmohi Akhara sect the remainder. However, none of the parties were satisfied. This verdict was later stayed by the Supreme Court in the appeals were filed against it.
Later in the landmark judgment in November 2019, the Supreme Court delivered its final verdict in the Ayodhya dispute. The court decreed that the contested land, measuring 2.77 acres, is to be transferred to a trust. This trust is to be established by the Indian government for the purpose of building the Ram Lalla temple, a sacred site believed to be the birthplace of the Hindu god, Rama. Additionally, the court ordered the government to allocate an alternative 5 acres of land at another location to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board for the construction of a mosque, as a replacement for the demolished Babri Masjid.
In accordance with the Supreme Court’s judgment, the Ram Lalla temple has been built on the previously disputed site. The inauguration of the temple in its unfinished state has ignited a fresh controversy, with critics suggesting that the timing of the inauguration, conducted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was politically motivated. The Congress party has levelled accusations, claiming it to be BJP, RSS event. As India gears up for the general elections in late spring, these allegations have intensified. Despite the political undertones, the temple stands as a symbol of India’s rich cultural heritage and religious diversity.
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