the-ram-mandir-saga-from-babri-masjid-demolition-to-land-ownership-resolution

The Supreme Court of India concluded the centuries-old Ayodhya dispute on November 9, 2019, by determining the ownership of the disputed 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya. The verdict paved the way for the construction of the Ram Mandir at the contested site while also allocating an alternate five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for the construction of a mosque.

 

 

The roots of the Ayodhya dispute trace back to 1528 when the Babri Masjid was constructed by Mughal Emperor Babur's general, Mir Baqi, after demolishing the existing Ram Mandir. The contentious site became a symbol of religious and cultural conflict, setting the stage for a prolonged legal battle.

 

The British administration intervened in 1859, segregating the inner and outer courts for Muslims and Hindus, respectively. However, the divisions failed to ease tensions. In 1885, Mahant Raghubardas' plea to build a temple over a chabutra in the Janam Asthan suit was denied, fueling further disputes.

 

Communal tensions escalated in 1934 due to rumours of cow slaughter in Shahjahanpur, resulting in damage to the mosque during a riot. Despite the damage, efforts were made to repair the Babri Masjid, reflecting resilience amid communal tensions.

 

 

As World War II unfolded, the Commissioner of Waqfs declared the land as Sunni property, citing Babur's affiliation with the Sunni sect of Islam. A pivotal moment occurred in 1949 when a Ram idol mysteriously appeared inside the mosque, triggering complaints and legal suits from both Muslim and Hindu communities. The government declared the site disputed, locking its gates.

 

The following decades witnessed a legal flurry, starting in 1959 when Hindu priests filed suits seeking the right to perform puja and install idols within the mosque. In 1959, the Nirmohi Akhara filed a suit aiming for actual control of the site. Amidst growing tensions, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) was formed in 1964, adding complexity to the ongoing saga.

 

The political landscape saw a shift in 1984 as Congress secured a massive victory in Parliament elections, reducing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to two Lok Sabha seats. Hindu outfits formed a committee to "liberate" the birthplace of Lord Ram and construct a temple.

 

In 1986, the gates of the disputed mosque were opened following a court order, allowing Hindus to worship. The Babri Masjid Action Committee was formed in response. In 1989, the VHP intensified its campaign, laying the foundations of a Ram temple on land adjacent to the disputed mosque. V.P. Singh's government, with outside support from the BJP and CPI(M), expressed a desire to implement the Mandal Commission report on OBC quotas.

 

The year 1990 witnessed L.K. Advani's "rath yatra" beginning in Somnath on September 25. On October 23, Laloo Prasad Yadav arrested Advani, halting his "rath yatra" in Samastipur. Communal tensions rose as police fired at VHP kar sevaks who marched into the disputed area. On November 10, V.P. Singh lost the confidence vote, resigning as Prime Minister. Chandra Shekhar was sworn in as the new prime minister with Congress support.

 

The BJP secured victories in four states in 1990-91: Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The watershed moment arrived in 1992 when kar sevaks demolished the Babri Masjid on December 6, leading to widespread condemnation, protests, and consequences.

 

In the aftermath, Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao dismissed four BJP governments, and the Liberhan Commission was formed to investigate the events leading to the mosque's demolition. Communal riots erupted, followed by serial bomb blasts, claiming hundreds of lives in Bombay (now Mumbai).

 

The year 2002 witnessed Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee setting up a cell in his office and appointing Shatrughan Singh to find a solution through dialogue with Hindus and Muslims. Communal riots erupted in Gujarat following the Godhra train attack.

 

In 2003, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) began a court-ordered survey to ascertain if a Ram temple existed at the disputed site. While the ASI found evidence of a temple, Muslims disputed the findings. In 2004, a Uttar Pradesh court reversed an earlier order exonerating Advani from his alleged role in the demolition.

 

In 2005, an attempt to breach the complex's wall resulted in the killing of five suspected militants. Seventeen years after being constituted, the Liberhan Commission submitted its report in 2009, shedding light on the events surrounding the Babri Masjid demolition.

 

A significant development occurred in 2010 when the Allahabad High Court ruled on the land's division, splitting it into one-third each for Muslims, Hindus, and the Nirmohi Akhara. The site of the mosque was given to Hindus. In 2011, the Supreme Court suspended the High Court ruling after appeals from Hindu and Muslim groups.

 

The political landscape witnessed BJP's Narendra Modi leading the NDA coalition to power at the Centre in 2014, winning 336 seats. In 2017, the Supreme Court stated that charges against Advani and other leaders could not be dropped and must be revived. On April 19, the Supreme Court pronounced its verdict, charging BJP leaders with criminal conspiracy and asking the trial court in Lucknow to complete the hearing within two years.

 

In 2018, after hearing multiple parties in numerous civil suits, the Supreme Court directed the matter to be heard in January 2019 before an appropriate bench, without specifying a date. Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi constituted a five-judge Constitution Bench to hear the case in January 2019. In March 2019, the Supreme Court appointed a mediation panel headed by Judge (retd) FMI Kallifulla for an out-of-court settlement. The mediation panel failed to reach an amicable settlement in August 2019, leading to the Supreme Court commencing hearings on August 6.

 

After hearing the case on a day-to-day basis for 40 days, the Supreme Court reserved its order on October 15, 2019. Finally, in November 2019, ownership of the 2.77-acre disputed land in Ayodhya was transferred to Ram Lalla, and the land was designated for a trust set up by the Centre to build the temple. The Sunni Waqf Board was allocated an alternate five-acre plot for the construction of a mosque, as announced by a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi in a historic unanimous verdict.

 

Construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya marked the end of a tumultuous journey that spanned centuries, combining religious sentiments, legal battles, and political complexities. The resolution is aimed to bring closure to a longstanding chapter in India's history while setting the stage for a new beginning in Ayodhya.