babrimasjid

Someone demolished my house. I went to court to get justice. The court ordered that the demolisher can build house in the place where my house stood. As a consolation I’ve been allotted some land. Is this justice?

This is a fictitious scenario, but not dissimilar to what happened to Rama Janmabhumi – Babri Masjid that was delivered in the Supreme Court of India today.  In a unanimous verdict, the Supreme Court held that the entire disputed land of 2.77 acres in Ayodhya must be handed over for the construction of Ram temple. At the same time, the Court held that an alternate plot of 5 acres must be allotted to the Sunni Waqf Board for construction of mosque.  The Central Government has been directed to formulate a scheme for construction of temple within three months. A Board of Trustees must be set up for temple construction.

Babri Masjid, a muslim mosque, was built in 1528–29 by a general Mir Baqi, on orders of the Mughal emperor Babur. Some Hindus believe that it was built on the birth place of the Hindu God Rama.

The land was disputed by the Hindus since 1885. Court cases have been going on since then on the ownership of the land.

On 6 December 1992, a violent crowd consisting of Hindu fanatics demolished the mosque, resulting in communal riots leading to over 2,000 deaths.

A land title case on the site was lodged in the Allahabad High Court, the verdicts of which was pronounced on 30 September 2010. In their verdict, the three judges of The Allahabad High Court ruled that the 2.77 acres (1.12 ha) of Ayodhya land be divided into 3 parts, with 1/3 going to the Ram Lalla or Infant Lord Rama represented by the Hindu Maha Sabha for the construction of the Ram temple, 1/3 going to the Islamic Sunni Waqf Board and the remaining 1/3 going to a Hindu religious denomination Nirmohi Akhara.

Today the Supreme Court of India set aside the Allahabad High Court order and gave the land to the Hindus with certain conditions.

The  duty of the Supreme Court was only to ascertain the title suit of the disputed territory. But the court went beyond its jurisdiction and granted the land to the Hindu party.

The five judge panel said in a unanimous decision that Hindu petitioners had established their case that they were in possession of outer courtyard at the site and the Sunni Waqf Board had failed to establish its case. The judges said that the faith of Hindus that Lord Ram was born at the site of the demolished structure is undisputed, and the existence of Sita Rasoi, Ram Chabutra and Bhandar grih are testimony to the religious fact of the place.

The court going above their jurisdiction and awarding the land to the Hindus has opened a pandora’s box in India.

CPI Mohammad Rafi said in a facebook post,

[fb_pe url=”https://www.facebook.com/chairmanrafi/posts/2526196367471296?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARC-THNKAWQ8rARQ2e4ZbGasyPqhdRaI2cJPT8eXXNHVAMxjQEGVF2adPrv3C7tTPNfDLk78xzGBEewvMN0u6U5ES1Kl2WDkK55m79uI5l_EJbrTAAq0Y3kHumLg72hF4iKEZ2DaXyZFRT78lxJUW8mCUP_Q_2dHB9ACnwbDfDNQ7FcrFFHphVEyC0MB4ksCAPu8YLH_pfLlbV_ImSaGbWMWA6tV1VjCEWgAd0rhobg8aj9VzuoHqrSDYlsPVREOh3P3dd3_m5mYphUxiBwniAggmyPXit9H4VrWXPP5KHmPY3VtMZi4ZDGhavXqSg1B2xwGvmSfX0H-0z5RUVxcbw&__tn__=-R” bottom=”30″]

[fb_pe url=”https://www.facebook.com/chairmanrafi/posts/2526124150811851?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARD3m1fpiDOKIGto26Pb3PJbqgKadXaajpS46OEj9ftrFXB7kQOJOfJkaPS7aJTcVY7hNbuUHyayi2f977ERl6mNatw5-HKuiAkNwoLDbYGseyU6mbwgNWel4cAW44i9hlUL_7xsuv4XFGqGav646DP6Nj9fnrQbFVdK7gqjurlI0opKG0Ah5d9FX-Mq8G-2XFZxXPOr7dL6V669e5MuMUkW8xBwlrPcFTlGrRIzL2A4zScALlKFBvDk8_3LusWpuRQ5y4-bH7CcUp2rY0Nhze2d1kDkC5ABOQod8PcjZm0uZvdg7iKOVjXheILsdseEKyibE064x7B_zUUa-o5JIA&__tn__=-R” bottom=”30″]

The comparison of right wing Hindutva forces and the racist Zionists in Israel is apt. In fact they are the best friends when it comes to dealing with Muslims.

The Supreme Court verdict is not end of the controversial Ayodhya – Ram Janmabhumi dispute. This opens only a new chapter in the Hindu – Muslim relations in India. One can only hope that harmony will prevail. The mute question is that will there be harmony when one’s house is occupied by another?

Binu Mathew is the editor of Countercurrents.org


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30 Comments

  1. Prafulla Samantara says:

    This is pre decided judgement under the order of the king.

  2. Abdul Qayyum Shaikh says:

    Injustice by SCI. Goes against minority community of India.

  3. *While respecting the judgement* of the the last word in justice of the country, can’t help feeling the hurt 😢😭😭😭😭😭.
    *Faith wins over facts* and legitimizes *L.K. Advani sponsored violence and illegal actions* of *demolition* of an *ancient mosque* and *use of hatred and violence in politics*. He is the architect of *using religion for politics to come to power*. He has nothing to do with Hinduism but will use it for politics and to come to power.
    *Five acres can be no solace at all* not even a crore acres could be traded for a 400 year old legitimate mosque demolished in 1992. *We have not done any violence before nor would we do now*. We were a victim of violence always. *We accept the Supreme Court decision*. If there is a provision in the law for review we must go for it.
    A better solution as I have always mooted was to make *Babri Masjid a museum a la Hagia Sophia in Istanbul*. But we have this decision today 🤷‍♂️. *The Prime Minister of India P.V. Narasimha Rao had promised to build Babri Masjid at the same spot* but did not live up to *his promise*. Now this? Welcome. Case closed.
    But it has not closed any doors for other problems. I am afraid for other mosques the same game could ho on.
    It’s a death knell to democracy and judiciary. On such a *flimsy comment of ASI the whole judgement is based*. Who stopped them from doing a full fledged *excavation* of the foundations of *Babri Masjid* to determine if any temple ever existed beneath Babri masjid. They had a quarter century to do that.
    After such long deliberations to come up with such a political decision and legitimizing illegality, violence and use of religion for Political purposes is a mockery of judiciary and indeed democracy. *Bishambarnath Pandey and Laldas* the murdered Chief pujari of the makeshift structure in the demolished Babri Masjid may be turning in their final abodes.

  4. V Kumar says:

    I would say this is an article with a misguided stance, because the house which was demolished, was built after earlier demolishing the demolisher’s house due to which the demolisher has a grave sense of injustice.

  5. Why don’t you go and take this matter to the international court of justice. It clearly seems that you don’t have faith in the legal systems of your own country and have doubt on the intelligence of 5 judges combined.

    “Less knowledge” is very dangerous… Proved from your article.

  6. S V Rajadurai says:

    The judgement was completely on expected lines and it would reach out to the posterity as the darkest chapter in the history of the Indian judiciary. The Judgement has opened not one but many a pandora boxes. While giving the faith of the Hindus a legal status, it has encouraged all kinds of bigotted ideas floated by the Hindu supremacists in the sphere of history, science and what not. A very sad day in the history of modern India.

    • Where does science comes into it. Brainwashed people cannot even try to know the history

    • abubenadhem says:

      So very many sad days in human history! Unless we can agree, unite and cooperate against urgent, common problems like global pollution, global warming and global VIOLENCE, human history will cease.

  7. Judgment delivered justice denied.

    • abubenadhem says:

      Concise, precise comment. IMHO, any temple, mosque or other “house of God” should be left in peace and used for peace in the name of our common Creator. Violence in human affairs is sacrilege, not worship of the Supreme Being.

  8. Himanshu Ved says:

    Dont you realize the same applies to Bhagwan Shri Ram… It was his home…his birthplace….demolished by Mir Baqi…just as they kept demolishing temples….to subjugate humiliate Hindus and propogate Islam… Not surreptitiously, but proudly…bragging about it everywhere….?
    How long will you keep hating us Hindus ?

    • abubenadhem says:

      Religion, I thought, was our institutionalized human recognition of the magnificent and BENEFICENT power of the Creator of All, together with attempts to reflect that Creator’s peaceful, just and benign nature in all human affairs. As creatures, our power to do that is vastly less; but we should never cease in aspiring to it. “Religious conflict,” as exemplified by this dispute about the Babri Mosque/Ram Temple, is a a grievous human mistake, it seems to me. The Supreme Being does not need any “house of God” on Earth. The universe is God’s home. It is our human impulse to worship God that leads us to build temples, mosques, churches and various shrines. None should be desecrated by violence, let alone by complete destruction. In the name of our Common Creator, peace be with everyone!

  9. Iqbal Shaikh says:

    Ali baba aur chalis chor in power. Hence surprised at the miscarriage of judgement.
    Sarkar bhi tumhari hai
    Adalat bhi tumhari hai
    Tum baat ke kha jao
    Looty huwi booty hai

    • Look who talks loot & booties. No doubt abt the sources of such subjects are derived from. Ancestors who used to do same from centuries

  10. Iqbal Shaikh says:

    Correction
    Hence not surprised at the miscarriage of judgement

  11. Iqbal Shaikh says:

    It remains to be seen if criminals who destroyed the mosque will ever be punished.

  12. Imteyaz says:

    Babri Masjid suffered again from vandalism. This time suffered from legal vandalism.

  13. First of all why did you build a house in my territory? You say you build a house in my place and if I demolish it you will go to court seeking justice? Get your facts right.

  14. Don’t misguide with half knowledge, Through out India All famous temples have been vandalized,looted by,, you know whom I’m pointing,First of all you built house in my area forcibly, now why this crocodile tears for the area which is not belong to you

  15. This article is misleading and half true. The house you are taking about was first demolished by the Mougal’s and a mosque built in place of a Ram mandir. Now it has been returned to the rightful owners.Dont act a victim of injustice. You always pay for the deeds of your ancestors.

    • abubenadhem says:

      IMHO, we can never correct the injustices of the past; but we CAN work together for true justice in the future–if there will be a future after we have wasted so many resources, so much potential, in constant civil strife and war.

  16. modernite verma says:

    law is andha kanoon , but now pagal as well, it contradicts its own verdict when it says that 1992 demolition of babri masjid was illegal, so theoretically that structure should still be standing , so how can any other structure be built on that same place???????

  17. Maaz Ahmed Shariff says:

    Faith rules over facts. Job of Supreme Court was to decide the title of the disputed land. Why should it direct Government to form a Trust to build a temple? Judiciary has interfered with the powers of Executive.

  18. Khapan woulll says:

    This is, was and will be India, Indian Judiciary and Indian Democracy…..
    India… A shame on the world
    Indian Judiciary…. A shame for justice
    Indian Democracy… A shame for democracy

    What were you expecting from the supreme court,,, it’s no more an institution for justice, but an RSS-BJP brothel.
    Same is the case with Indian election commission

  19. S V Rajadurai says:

    I have read Valmiki Ramayana, Kamba Ramayana and Thulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas ( There are other versions of Ramayana, like Buddhist Ramayana , Jain Ramayana and others. That is a different matter). In which of these works is it said that Rama’s birthplace is the present day Ayodhya? In fact the great saying has been that ” Wherever Rama is, that is Ayodhya”.Thulsidas’s work itself was an attempt to to reconcile the different stories of Rama and to bring the story within the reach of the common man. If the faith of a particular religionists is accepted as a legal evidence, then all the Puranas and Epics would have to be treated as legal documents.Ayodhya verdict, as most of the political parties, let alone the BJP claim has not settled the issue of the so called Hindu-Muslim discord. It has opened many pandora’s baoxes. That is why Rajnath Singh has now said that ” it is time for the Uniform Civil Code’. The Supreme Court, with all its wisdom, has ended up in abetting the Hindu Supremacists’ project of establishing ‘Hindu Rshtra’ .These Supremacists care a damn for the poor and downtrodden Hindu brothers and sisters whose quality of life is sinking deeper and deeper everday.

  20. abubenadhem says:

    I began to comment sympathetically but briefly about the unwisdom and injustice of this legal decision; but I am addicted to rhyme, and my words grew into this verse. It seems that Hindus, Muslims, perhaps Sikhs and perhaps even an atheist have commented previously. Without attempting to impose my Christian view on any of you, I nevertheless wish to to SHARE it with you. Peace and justice to all! — Robert Cable

    THE WORD
    TO THE WISE
    For Binu Mathew

    Build, don’t destroy.
    Share and enjoy

    Earth’s life in peace
    And, when we cease,

    God will judge well,
    Sending to Hell

    Haughty, unjust
    Children of dust,

    Judges and kings
    Who attach strings

    To others’ land,
    Seize and demand

    What is not theirs.
    Sordid affairs!

    Imperfect Man
    Fails in God’s plan,

    Justice and love
    Urged from above.

    I hope to see
    That come to be—

    Not here on earth,
    But with new birth.

    Allah knows best.
    Put to the test,

    Mankind has failed.
    Jesus was nailed

    To a cruel cross,
    Though Roman boss

    Wouldn’t agree
    He was guilty

    Of blasphemy,
    As Pharisee

    Caiaphas claimed.
    So that priest named

    Him “King of the Jews”
    Just to accuse

    Jesus of treason—
    Invalid reason.

    That painted gloss
    On Jesus’ cross

    Should have been true.
    The perfect Jew,

    The perfect man,
    Good Fisherman,

    The Son of God,
    Here on Earth trod

    Teaching us love—
    Love as Above,

    Modeling peace—
    Grateful release

    From war and strife
    That negate life.

    Yes, Jesus taught
    (Was it for naught?)

    Love, above all,
    Justice withal;

    Lived and died, too,
    That perfect Jew,

    For you and me—
    Humanity!

    In His Good Name,
    Let’s do the same:

    Build, don’t destroy;
    Share and enjoy

    This life in peace
    Until our release

    From unjust Earth
    For better rebirth.

  21. S V Rajadurai says:

    A correction to my last comment:
    The sentence “Ayodhya verdict, as most of the political parties, let alone the BJP claim has not settled the issue of the so called Hindu-Muslim discord.” must be corrrected as ” Contrary to the claim of most of the political parties, let alone the BJP, has not settled the issue of the socalled Hindu-Muslim discord”.

  22. Balbir singh says:

    U idiot , do you know what is the meaning of jurisdiction , do you what was prayed in suit in which daity was plaintiff ?
    And most importantly how you can presume that it was someone else’s house ? That someone else had to prove title over land before he could claim that it was his house .