THE three-member Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court in a historic judgement restored the holy Ramjanmabhoomi to the Hindus paving the way for the construction of a grand Sri Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Though the three judges gave separate and different judgements, there was great concurrence in the substance of the three verdicts. This has unambiguously settled most of the core issues that were brought before the judiciary for resolution.
The court has made four things clear. First and the most epoch making is that the disputed site, where a makeshift temple stands since December 6, 1992 is the birth place of Sri Ram. This has been for over thousands of years the unshakeable faith and belief of all Hindus and that made the site sacred for all of us. The court by ruling that this indeed is the birth place of Sri Ram basing it on tradition, belief, archaeological evidence and topography of the area has authenticated the historicity of Sri Ram. This will go a long way in restating and understanding of our history. This has demolished many myths, falsehoods and lies being spread by the so-called eminent historians and their pseudo-secular cohorts in the corridors of scholarship, politics and media. This will help to inspire a new wave of history writing with better erudition and appreciation of facts.
The second, and equally important aspect is the conclusion of all the three judges-their languages may differ-that there existed a grand Hindu temple before it was demolished or removed to build the Babri structure. In support of this assertion, the judges have quoted the Archaeological Survey of India(ASI) findings after detailed site excavation and ground penetration radar(GPR) technology surveys. This further validates the long standing Hindu grievances about the fate of many temples under the Islamic invasion.
The third significant observation of the judges is that since the Babri structure was built on the debris of a temple, according to Islamic tenets the disputed structure cannot be considered a mosque. It was on the premise of all these the court upheld the Hindu claim on the janmabhoomi site. The court further accepted the Ramlalla Virajman (incarnate Ramlalla) as a legal entity and owner of the land.
The fourth most instructive and important decision of the court is the rejecting of the petition of the UP Sunni Waqf Board as it has no locus standi in the matter. The disputed structure belonged to the Shia community and the Shias and Sunnis don’t worship in each other’s mosque. The Sunni Board has threatened to go on appeal in the apex court. But the court has vindicated all the vital contentions of the temple protagonists. This is a natural consequence of a long and abiding endeavour of thousands of Sri Ram devotees and their brilliant, dedicated and highly competent legal brain. The nation is eternally indebted to their invaluable service to the national cause.
One aspect that remains hugely perplexing is as to how after saying that the Muslims have no right to sue the court allowed one-third of the janmasthan to the Sunni Waqf Board. Here is a contradiction between the diktat of the two Judges and what they have actually found as facts.
There are no dearth of temples or mosques in this land. The Ramjanmabhoomi Temple is not just another temple. It is a mark of India’s proud heritage, history, tradition and faith. Because Sri Ram is revered by all Indians-He is not worshipped only as an incarnation but He is the personification of all that is unique, integral and noble about this holy land. Sri Ram embodies the dignity, unity, honour and pride of India. In fact, he is the eternal symbol of our nationhood.
It has been a long wait for the Hindus. For 482 years since the demolition and the building of the disputed structure, Hindus have fought, with eternal faith and patience – both violently and peacefully – legally and sometimes taking law in their hands, to liberate the Janmabhoomi of Sri Ram. The court case was going on for the last six decades. That for so many generations the Hindus have not given up their claim on the holy site, and even today it is a matter of great emotional appeal and intense faith shows the depth of the Hindu sentiment. This verdict at last brings us closer to a final settlement to the Ayodhya imbroglio.
