Supreme Court declares the ‘Ayodhya Verdict’- 40 years of waiting has finally found a conclusion.
The Indian Supreme Court has finally granted a historic verdict for the Ayodhya disputed land case on 9th November 2019. Here’s all you’ve to know about the entire Ayodhya Disputed Land Case.
HISTORY
Although the earliest citing of agitation regarding the disputed land was recorded in 1853, the civil suits were filed by both the parties in 1949 after Hindu idols were placed inside the mosque premises. The land was officially locked and the dispute for ownership of the land gained momentum. The case strengthened in the 1980s through the mass level agitations led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and later when, after the formation of Bhartiya Janta Party from the remnants of Jana Sangh, was made the face of the movement. The first judicial judgment regarding the case was noted in 1986 when a district judge ruled the gates to be opened for the Hindus to worship. Another major milestone, in this case, was the group of kar sevaks who stormed the disputed lands under an organized rally led by VHP and BJP on 6th December 1992. The police that were appointed to patrol there for the safety of the building was heavily outnumbered by the agitated crowd, who attacked the mosque and brought the building down within hours. This led to a series of events to unfold, causing unrest in the country and inciting severe unrest and riots that killed about 2000 people. The 2002 Godhra riots were another extension to this highly inflammable dispute. Since the various rulings were passed, taking the case from district level to the Allahabad High court and finally the Supreme Court in 2010.
JUDGEMENT
The Supreme Court stated the following judgments, efficiently dissolving the case in the favor of the ’Ramlala virajman’ accepting the claims of the Hindus over the land as the birthplace of their deity Lord Rama. The rights were transferred to Ram Janmbhoomi Nyaswhile ordering a trust to be made within three months for the construction of the temple. The Sunni Waqf Board shall be granted a separate 5-acre land at a different location in Ayodhya, which could be out of the land acquired by the government in 1993. On the other hand, the other two parties that laid claims, the Shia Waqf Board and the Nirmohi Akhada were rejected for any ownership on the land. The Supreme Court recurrently stated that they haven’t made any judgments based on beliefs, religion or castes. The ownership of land is granted based on the proofs and evidence that were presented to the board.
A five-judge bench, comprising outgoing Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer were the decision-makers of the Ayodhya Disputed Land case, with this being the last case for the CJI Mr. Ranjan Gogoi before his retirement. It is essential to note that the archeological surveys proved that there are remnants of a temple structure below the demolished mosque, proving the claims of the Ram Janm Bhoomi Nyas that the mosque wasn’t made on empty land. The claims of the Shia Waqf board saying that the Muslims worshipped in the mosque in the Britisher’s era couldn’t be verified, whereas proofs of Hindu Pooja rituals happening there could be acclaimed.
The Supreme Court also stated though that the forced demolition of the Babri mosque was an abomination to the law and order of the country and a major violation of the judicial system. Despite that, the verdict favored the fact that based on evidential proofs, the land ownership shall go to the Hindus. Different parts of the country have been put under strict alert, activating section 144 in major cities and closing the schools, colleges and government offices, sensitive to the fact that there could be unrest or possible violence. We as citizens of the country should realize that there is no need for any kind of resistance towards a judgment that was directed by the highest judicial body of our country, a decision that is made after listening and verifying each and every aspect of the involved parties and reviewing their claims.
Now that the decision is out, we have to respect and accept it, rejoicing the fact that such a major issue has finally found peace, after years of unrest. No religion can claim to have won or lost and both sides shall resolve to take actions in accordance with the judgment passed. With this being said, our country can now finally move on from the decades of religious turmoil that was sparked through the Ayodhya land case and move towards issues that would promote the progress of our country, as one single unit.
Article By: Umme Salma Saifee
