Ayodhya: Ram JanmabhoomiA glance at historical events about the Ram Temple dispute in India.

Introduction• Ayodhya is considered as the birth place of Lord Ram and has

been an object of the deepest devotion for Hindus through the millennia

• In year 1528 Mughal king Babur ordered his commander Mir Baqi to erect a mosque at Ayodhya as the symbol of conquest as Muslim rulers were not approving the idol worship

• The ceaseless struggle by the Hindus to recapture their holy place since then, first through the Hindu kings then a legal battle in British Raj which continued after independence and now became a people’s movement with the initiatives of religious leaders

• The disputed structure / Babari Mosque was demolished by uncontrollable mob of more than 1,00,000 people on 6th Dec. 1992. The legal and political battle still continues to rebuild the Ram Temple in Ayodhya

1528 - 1757• 1528 – 1707 : Unrecorded efforts• 1735 : A serious clash had taken place over the Masjid• 1751 : Hindu Maratha armies led by Malhar Rao Holkar, at the

invitation of Safdarjang, the second Nawab of Oudh, defeated the Pathan forces in Doab and requested to handover Ayodhya, Kashi and Prayag

• 1756 : Nawab Shujauddaula was asked again by Marathas to transfer these three holy places in lieu of helping him against impending Afghan invasion

• 1757 : Shujauddaula agrees. But the transfer could not take place as Maratha army was busy in conquest of Punjab which ultimately led to defeat in war at Panipat in 1761

1758 - 1857• 1767 : Austrian Jesuit traveller, Joseph Tieffenthaler states

that in spite of the Mughal kings efforts to prevent them, the Hindus had re-occupied the courtyard and raised the Ram Chabootra and they were worshipping and celebrating Ram Navami there as well as under the domed structure

• 1855 : Big Armed encounter between Hindu and Muslims occurred as nearly 300 Muslims under Shah Ghulam Hussain took possession of the Babari mosque and tried to fix doors on it. The Hindus counter-attacked and killed 70 Muslims

• 1856 : The Muezzin of the Babari mosque admitted, before the British authorities, that the courtyard had been in possession of the Hindus for hundreds of years and that now they were interfering with the domed structure as well

When the legal battle began ?

• The first legal suit in the matter was filed in 1885 in British Raj.• To gain the right over the chabootra

(raised platform) for the plaintiff, Raghubar Das – Janmasthan Mahant.• Request for permission to erect a

temple on the chabootra, which was then popularly accepted as the birthplace of Lord Ram.

Verdict : Feb 24, 1885• The Faizabad sub-judge Pandit Hari Kishan• Declines permission and states - • The land on which the chabootra stood

belongs to the plaintiff Raghubar Das.• It was so close to the existing masjid that it

would be contrary to public policy to grant a decree authorising him to build a temple.

• Raghubar Das then appealed to Faizabad district judge

Spot Inspection : March 17, 1886• Faizabad district judge, Colonel J E A Chambier• Dismissed the appeal on the same grounds• Also struck down the part of the sub-judge's verdict which

conceded the property to Das and states – • I found that the masjid built by Emperor Babar stands on the

border of the town of Ayodhya. It is most unfortunate that a masjid should have been built on the land specially held sacred by the Hindus.

• But as it occurred 356 years ago, it is too late now to remedy the grievance. All that can be done is to maintain the parties in status quo.

• Raghubar Das took the matter to Oudh Judicial Commissioner

Verdict : November 1, 1886• Oudh Judicial Commissioner W Young rejected the plea. • This spot is situated within the precincts of the grounds

surrounding a mosque erected some 350 years ago, owing to the bigotry and tyranny of the emperor who purposely chose this holy spot, according to Hindu legend, as the site of his mosque

• The Hindus seem to have got very limited rights of access to certain spots within the precinct adjoining the mosque

• For a series of years, Hindus have been persistently trying to increase those rights and to erect buildings on two spots in the enclosure. (Sita's kitchen and Lord Ram’s birthplace)

• Upholding earlier decisions, the judicial commissioner only disputed the mahant's claim to ownership of the chabootra.

1934

• Serious Hindu-Muslim armed encounter occurred in and around the Babari mosque• Occasioned by a cow-slaughter incident•Many people were killed• Some damage to one of the three domes• The damaged structure was repaired by

the British Government which recovered the cost of the repair by a punitive fine on the Hindus

After the Independence• In the night of December 22, 1949 the idol of Lord Ram

was placed in the mosque• Hundreds of Hindus arrived and started offering prayers• Even though the crowds were pushed back and the

mosque's gates were padlocked, the deity remained inside• No one dared to remove the idol despite the directives

of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to Chief Minister of state of Uttar Pradesh Govind Ballabh Pant to remove it.• The district collector Mr Nayyar expressed his inability

to get the idol removed.• He said he would prefer to be relieved of the charge rather than

carry out the orders.

Legal battle begins again….• January 1950 • Suit filed by a local resident, Gopal Singh Visharad• Requested permission to offer prayers inside the mosque

where the deity of Lord Ram had been placed• Faizabad Civil judge N N Chadha passed an interim

injunction, with the rider that the public could not be allowed to freely offer puja or receive darshan, but the local priest was allowed to perform the daily bhog.

• April 1950• District administration takes the stand that, It has been

used for a long period by the Muslims as a mosque for the purpose of worship. It has not been in use as a temple of Shri Ram and the idols of Shri Ram were surreptitiously and wrongly put inside.

Legal battle continues…….• 1951• Mohmmad Hashim and other Muslims from Ayodhya moved a

petition before the high court, seeking a vacation of the injunction.• 1955• A division bench of the Allahabad high court ruled that the status

quo needed to be maintained.• Expressed the need for a final decision to be taken within six months.• But it did not happen.

• 1961• U.P. Sunni Central Board of Waqf filed a suit in the Civil Court of

Faizabad.• 1971• Another appeal was filed before the Allahabad high court but was

not taken up until 1983.

People’s movement begins…• 1983• The litigations initiated by the Hindus in 1950 and the Waqf

Board suit filed 12 years later in 1961, did not move at all and were pending virtually in a state of suspended animation

• Ayodhya movement conceived• 1984• The Hindu Saints and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) formed a

Samiti to campaign nationwide for the liberation of Ram Janmabhoomi

• Ram-Janaki Rathyatra was started from Sitamarhi in Bihar to create awareness amongst people about the movement and thousands of people assembled on the banks of the Sarayu river in Ayodhya to take a vow for the liberation of the birthplace of Rama. They also demanded opening of the locks of the temple.

• When the assassination of Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi occurred, on 31st October, the programme was suspended.

1985• 26th March• Samiti decided to enrol 50 lakh devotees of Lord Ram for

liberating the Janmabhoomi.• 23rd October• The Ram-Janaki Rathyatra was re-started on the

Vijayadashami day• 31st October• Dharma sansad meeting was held at Udipi, and 851 Saints

participated and planned for the liberation struggle• 19th December• Responding to a call given by the Bajrang Dal, the State of

Uttar Pradesh observed total Bandh in support of the demand for opening the locks of the Temple.

1986• The Ram Janmabhoomi Samiti gave ultimatum that if the locks

were not removed, they would break open the locks.• Prominent respectable members of society including former

high court judges requested the District Magistrate to permit for ‘Lord Ram’s Darshan.

• Application by local lawyer U C Pandey, seeking permission to offer prayers

• Faizabad District Judge K M Pandey allowed the idols inside the premises to be seen and worshipped by the pilgrims and devotees and ordered the gates to be unlocked

• Sunni Waqf Board and the Babari Masjid Action Committee moved the Allahabad high court. But the order was not stayed

1987- 89 • March 87 : A large rally organised by the Babari Masjid Action

Committee was held at the Boat Club in Delhi• April 87 : The issue was considered by the Cabinet Committee of

Political Affairs, which decided to set up a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Shri P. V. Narasimha Rao, to suggest steps for resolving the controversy

• Several meetings and discussions to resolve the issue continue• February 89 : A declaration by saints to lay the foundation stone

for construction of Rama Temple on November 10.• June 89 : Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) decides to support the

Temple construction efforts• Political and legal battles to stop Shilanyas• November 89 : Shilanyas takes place as declared. The first brick

laid by a Harijan, Kameshwar Chopal of Bihar

1990• Hindu saints decides to resume Kar Seva to construct temple• The new prime minister V. P. Singh asks for more time to

resolve the issue. But nothing significant happens.• In June, Shri L. K. Advani, leader of BJP offer to persuade the

VHP to drop Mathura and Varanasi if Ayodhya is voluntarily given, evokes no response from Muslim leaders

• On 25th September Shri Advani started on the Rathyatra from Somnath to Ayodhya to participate in the Kar Seva on October 30, 1990. It received a great response and turned national debate on the issue of secularism

• On 19th October, the President of India issued an Ordinance to acquire the disputed structure and land at Ayodhya but decided to withdraw it within few days

The moment of confrontation……’90

• On 23rd October, 1990, Shri L.K. Advani was arrested in Samastipur, and the Rathyatra was stopped. The whole country reacted. The BJP withdrew its support to government

• On 30th October, 1990, the Karsevaks who had assembled in lakhs, ascended the domes of the disputed structure, and hoisted saffron flags

• On 2nd November, 1990, the Karsevaks, who were approaching the Ram Janmabhoomi, were subjected to ruthless firing in which over 50 Karsevaks died and hundreds were injured

• Shri V.P. Singh government was voted out in Parliament and Shri Chandrashekhar became the Prime Minister

1991• Chandrashekhar government fell in March. Elections declared.• In its election Manifesto, the BJP committed itself to building a

Temple for Sri Rama at the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya, after relocating the mosque

• Shri Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated. The Parliament elections which were halfway through were deferred and held later

• The Congress Party formed Government. Shri P. V. Narasimha Rao became Prime Minister. BJP came in power in state of UP.

• The UP Government acquired 2.77 acres of land adjoining the structure for temple construction. But the acquisition became the subject matter of legal disputes, and the High Court and Supreme Court ordered status quo on the acquired land, and prohibited any permanent construction

The moment of confrontation……’92• Discussions with new governments began. But talks at various

level do not result in any agreeable formula. Karseva declared.• On 28th November, the Supreme Court gave permission for

symbolic Karseva, on the assurance given by the Uttar Pradesh Government. A judicial observer was also appointed by the Supreme Court

• By 3rd December, over 25,000 armed policemen were stationed in Ayodhya and more than 1,00,000 Karsevaks had assembled

• On 6th December, in a sudden development the disputed structure was demolished by the uncontrollable mob of Karsevaks, and the idols of Lord Ram were re-installed

• Shri Kalyan Singh, Chief Minister of state of UP owning moral responsibility for the demolition, resigned in evening. A few hours later, his government was dismissed by the Central Government

Post ‘92• Immediately after - Communal clashes and dismissals of other

BJP state Governments. CBI Probe in demolition and cases against the leaders

• Change of leadership in Central and State governments several times till now.

• Status quo maintained in Ayodhya• The issue lost political priority and the momentum• But the Hindu sentiments about Ayodhya remain the same • Legal battle to determine the ownership of the disputed site

continues and after amalgamation of all existing legal suites the verdict of High Court is expected in September 2010