The long legal battle, known as the ‘Ayodhya Dispute’ was finally decided on the 9th of November, 2019 marks one year since the judgment was passed. The Supreme Court of India declared that the disputed land should be handed over to a trust created by the Government of India, to build the Ram Janmabhoomi temple. This case is one of the oldest civil disputes in Indian courts. For more than a hundred and fifty years, the site of the mosque known as the Babri Masjid has been claimed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram. In 1992, there were riots all over the country, due to religious strife created by the demolition of the mosque.
Ever since the mosque was brought down, rival religious groups claimed the site as their own. The site in question is a 2.77-acre land situated in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. A case was heard by the Allahabad High Court, concerning the title of the land. The court decided that the land would be split into three parts and each party receiving one part, one-third going to Ram Lalla, one-third to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, and lastly one-third given to Nirmohi Akhara. This judgment was later modified by the Supreme Court.
The main issue the Supreme Court was tasked with, was determining whether the site where Babri Masjid was constructed was the birthplace of Lord Ram. The Court noted the abundance of religious texts and scriptures such as Valmiki’s Ramayana and the Skanda Purana and opined that these cannot be held as groundless in determining whether the disputed site is the birthplace of Lord Ram.
The contentions made by both groups involved were antithetical. One group claiming that there was the existence of an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Ram, which was later demolished after the conquest by the Mughal Emperor Babur. The contradictory contention is that the mosque was built on vacant land at the behest of the Emperor.
The Supreme Court in its 1045 pages long judgment noted that, although the plaintiffs claim that the mosque was constructed in the year 1528 by Emperor Babur, there was no account of possession by them, use or offer of namaz in the mosque between the date of construction and 1856 to 1857. It is said that the Muslims have not adduced any evidence proving possessory control over the site in question. Because of this, the Hindus seemed to have a better footing in claiming the disputed property. The main reason for the verdict is that the Plaintiffs were unable to provide any evidence to prove their possession of the property, they were also unable to prove that namaz was offered at this site for around 300 years. The land was handed over to Ram Lalla, the infant form of Lord Ram, a proxy considered a juristic person under the law. The Court also ordered the government to provide an alternative land of 5-acres to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board.
The atmosphere in the whole country after the verdict was issued, was quite tense. The Government stayed vigilant, expecting violent clashes. This has been one of the oldest and longest causes of religious disputes in India resulting in strife and lack of political concord. The Supreme Court endeavored to address issues of both the minority and majority parties involved and strived to create harmony between both groups.
This Article Does Not Intend To Hurt The Sentiments Of Any Individual Community, Sect, Or Religion Etcetera. This Article Is Based Purely On The Authors Personal Views And Opinions In The Exercise Of The Fundamental Right Guaranteed Under Article 19(1)(A) And Other Related Laws Being Force In India, For The Time Being.
