Ayodhya Case | Ayodhya Conflict | Ayodhya Babri Masjid Controversy

Ayodhya Case | Ayodhya Conflict | Ayodhya Controversy

The much-awaited verdict on the title suit of the disputed site at Ayodhya will be pronounced on September 24 by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court.

The long pending case is about the ownership of the Ayodhya land to which Hindus and Muslims have been making rival claims over the past one and a quarter century.

While Hindus claimed the land to be the site of the birthplace of their most revered Lord Ram, Muslims asserted their right over the same as the site of a 16th century mosque, claimed to have been built by Mughal emperor Babur in the ancient town of Ayodhya, nearly 120 km from Lucknow.

The Babri Masjid at the site was razed on December 6, 1992, by karsevaks and right-wing extremists who claimed that it was the Ram Janmabhoomi site. The Babri Masjid demolition had triggered unprecedented communal riots, which had claimed thousands of lives.

Notwithstanding their counter claims, the litigants connected with the Ayodhya title suits have said they want peace in the aftermath of the ruling and accuse vested interests of creating unnecessary hype in the run up to the verdict.

“Whatever judgement comes on the 60-year-old dispute over the Ayodhya title suits, there should be peace and tranquillity as no problem in the world can be resolved through violence and riots”, the litigants said.

“We are awaiting the verdict of the court and whatever it be, we want peace”, Mahant Bhaskar Das of the Nirmohi Akhara of Ayodhya, one of the litigants of the title suit, said.

The option to approach the higher courts is always open to any party unhappy with the verdict, he said.

“Though the administration has stepped up security in Ayodhya, causing immense hardships to the pilgrims, I can say for sure that the twin temple towns of Faizabad and Ayodhya would remain peaceful,” Das said.

“The flow of pilgrims has trickled down ever since the security hype has been created, even though both the factions here want peace”, he said.

Similar is the refrain of 90-year-old Mohammad Hashim Ansari, whose ill-health and advanced age will not allow him to travel to Lucknow on the day when the verdict in the case in which he had been involved since decades will be announced.

“We have been waiting for the past 60 years for this day and we want that this dispute should end in Lucknow”, Ansari said, adding no opportunity should be provided to communal forces to exploit the situation at any cost.

“Musalman gam aur khushi ka izhar sadak par na karey.. .issey kewal unka hi nuksaan hoga” (Muslims should ensure that they do not react to the verdict whether it is in favour or against on the roads as it would be harmful for them only),” Ansari, who is also a litigant in the original suit, appealed to the community.

“Such a reaction would give communal forces a chance to jump in and exploit the situation,” he said.

Trilok Nath Pandey, who is also involved in the case, said unnecessary hype is being created over the upcoming verdict.

The verdict would have no effect on the everyday life of common people as none of the parties concerned has stated that the verdict would not be acceptable to them, Pandey said adding that “whatever tension is seen is due to the political leadership of the country which sees it as an opportunity to serve their ulterior motives”.

Zafaryab Jilani of the Sunni Central Waqf Board said maintaining communal harmony is important and there should not be any expression of resentment in public by any of the parties concerned.

“Whichever party is aggrieved and not satisfied with the verdict can approach the Supreme Court,” he said.