The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday March 21,2017 described the Ram Mandir – Ayodhya as a “sensitive” and “sentimental” issue and suggested that it would be best if the contentious issue is settled amicably.
The SCI’s suggestion comes after BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy sought an urgent hearing on the Ayodhya dispute.
The SCI also called upon parties concerned to sit together to arrive at a consensus and asked Swamy to consult the parties and inform it about the decision on March 31,2017
The issue dates back to 1992, when hundreds of karsevaks demolished the 16th century mosque in Ayodhya amid claims that it was the birthplace of Hindu deity Lord Rama and the mosque was constructed on the holy land of Hindus.
It triggered widespread Hindu-Muslim violence.
A number of senior BJP leaders, including LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, are accused in the case.
The SCI’s suggestion comes after BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy sought an urgent hearing on the Ayodhya dispute.
The SCI also called upon parties concerned to sit together to arrive at a consensus and asked Swamy to consult the parties and inform it about the decision on March 31,2017
The issue dates back to 1992, when hundreds of karsevaks demolished the 16th century mosque in Ayodhya amid claims that it was the birthplace of Hindu deity Lord Rama and the mosque was constructed on the holy land of Hindus.
It triggered widespread Hindu-Muslim violence.
A number of senior BJP leaders, including LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, are accused in the case.
Timeline showcasing the long-standing dispute
1528: The Babri Masjid, a mosque in Ayodhya, was constructed by Mir Baki on the orders of Mughal emperor Babar. According to the Hindu community, it was built on the foundations of a temple which marked the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. This contention lingered on for several years.
1949: Towards the end of December 1949, idols of Lord Ram appeared inside the mosque, allegedly put there by Hindus. It led to widespread protests and both communities filed cases, Hashim Ansari for Muslims and Mahant Paramhans Ramchandra Das for Hindus. The government declared the site as disputed and locked the gates to it.
1950: Mahant Paramhans Ramchandra Das, the chief of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, and Gopal Singh Visharad filed suits in Faizabad, seeking permission to pray before the installed idols. The puja was allowed though the inner courtyard gates remain locked.
1959: Nirmohi Akhara, one of the main parties to the dispute, and others filed a case and sought permission again to conduct prayers.
1961: Sunni Central Board of Waqfs in Uttar Pradesh filed a case claiming the mosque, and argued that the surrounding area was a graveyard.
1984: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad constituted a group to continue the movement as BJP leader L K Advani was made the leader of the campaign.
February 1, 1986: Faizabad district judge ordered the gates of the structure be opened for Hindus to offer prayers. Babri Masjid Action Committee was formed soon after this.
1989: The then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi allowed shilanyas or a ground-breaking ceremony in an undisputed site close to the structure. The hearing of the case was subsequently shifted to the High Court.
September 25,1990: Advani launched a rath yatra (pilgrimage procession) from Somnath to Ayodhya to galvanise support for the issue countrywide.
November 1990: Advani’s rath was stopped and he was arrested in Samastipur, Bihar. Dissatisfied with the development, the BJP withdrew its support to the VP Singh government, triggering fresh elections. The saffron party made giant strides in the assembly elections by winning a majority.
December 6,1992: The disputed structure was brought down by kar sevaks and a makeshift temple was placed in its place. The PV Narasimha Rao-led Congress government then moved court for status quo.
March 5, 2003: The Allahabad High Court ordered the Archeological Survey of India to excavate the disputed site in order to determine whether a temple existed where the mosque stood.
August 22, 2003: The ASI submitted its report to the Allahabad High Court, saying it had found features of a 10th century temple beneath the site of the masjid
August 31, 2003: All India Muslim Personal Law Board said it would challenge the ASI report.
July 26, 2010: The bench reserved its judgement and advised all parties to solve the issue amicably. But no one was keen.
September 8, 2010: The High Court announced that the verdict would be pronounced on September 24.
September 14, 2010: A writ was filed to defer the judgement but was subsequently rejected by the High Court.
September 23: The plea for an out-of-court settlement reached Supreme Court and the apex body said it would hear it again on September 28.
September 28: The apex court rejected petition for deferment and gives the nod to the Allahabad High court to deliver the judgement. The High Court chose September 30 as verdict day.
September 30: The Allahabad High Court pronounced its verdict on the long-standing Ayodhya Ramjanmabhumi-Babri Masjid issue and ruled for a three-way division of the disputed area, between the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and the party for ‘Ram Lalla’.
February 26, 2016: The Supreme Court permitted BJP leader Subramanian Swamy to intervene in the pending matters relating to the Ayodhya dispute with his plea seeking construction of Ram temple at the site of the demolished disputed structure.
- March 21, 2017: SC suggest out of the court settlement as the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is a "sensitive", "sentimental issue
- March 21, 2017: SC suggest out of the court settlement as the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is a "sensitive", "sentimental issue
Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid Dispute: Past Attempts to Resolve Issue
Tuesday March 21,2017 ’s observation by the Supreme Court of India(SCI)to resolve the dispute around the site of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya has reignited the debate.
The dispute itself, however, is decades old and the court asking the parties involved in the case to resolve their differences out of court is just the latest in a series of attempts.
Here is a list of past attempts to resolve the issue:
Dec 1990: PM Chandra Shekhar’s attempt
- PM Chandra Shekhar made a breakthrough by bringing both VHP and all India Babri Masjid action committee to the negotiating table.
- Representatives of the two organisations met and presented the "evidence" of their sides to the Union government. However the negotiation soon fell apart.
June- July 2003: Efforts by Kanchi Shankaracharya
- Vajpayee govt. openly backed efforts by Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati’s efforts to negotiate settlement on the issue with AIMPLB.
- However, AIMPLB rejected Shankaracharya's proposals questioning Govt’s sincerity over the issue. VHP too protested over parleys between the Sankaracharya and AIMPLB.
Dec 2003: Another track II attempt by the BJP
- The Ayodhya Jama Masjid Trust (AJMT)—a MHA-backed body—came with formula said to be the brain child of Kartik Chopra, an AJMT trustee.
- The AJMT formula had 3 basic points: 1. Muslims should give up their claim on the disputed plot. 2. They’ll be allotted land close to the house of the original claimant, Hashim Ansari. 3. After the land is allotted, the govt would allocate RS 400 crore to build a mosque on the new site.
April 2011: Temple-Mosque at Ayodhya site
- Mahant Gyan Das (Mahant of the Hanumangarhi Temple) and late Hashim Ansari (oldest litigant) indulged in track-II negotiation post 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict.
- The formula has provision for both a temple and a mosque on the disputed 70-acre land. But, the two structures would be separated by a 100-foot wall.
August 2010-13: Locals floats its own solution: Mandir at idol site, Masjid 400m away
- Justice Palok Basu, a retired judge of the Allahabad High Court, spearheaded "local" effort by residents of Ayodhya and Faizabad to resolve the dispute.
- It proposed a Ram Temple at the disputed site and a mosque 400 m away, but within the 67 acres of land acquired by the government.
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