The courts have always maintained that the Ram Janmabhoomi case is a purely legal dispute over a piece of land. I don’t think so, but fine. We will play it their way. What other choice do we have?
Remember the 2010 ruling of the Allahabad High Court in the Ram Janmabhoomi case? In a rather unusual conclusion to a title suit over a piece of land, the Court verdict split the land into two parts. Two-thirds of the land, including the part under the Central dome of the so called Babri “Masjid,” were returned to Hindus and one-third was given to Muslims. Rather charmingly, the two-thirds given to Hindus was split up equally between Bhagwan Shri Ram Lalla Viraajmaan and the Nirmohi Akhara. Even though the court accepted the Hindu case on Ram Janmabhoomi, a concession was made to Muslim sentiments by giving them some of the area in the courtyard.
It wasn’t everything, but it was at least something. It was much more than Hindus were used to getting from the system.
At the time, most Hindu groups seemed happy with the verdict. Then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi had also welcomed the Court decision. It seemed like the matter would finally be closed and a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya, built with the goodwill of one and all, would become a fountainhead of communal harmony.
But that was not to be. The Muslim parties in the case took the approach of not yielding even the proverbial needle point of land. The matter was dragged to the Supreme Court, where it lingered for another 9 years.
A lot has changed in these 9 years. I believe the Hindu masses of today expect a lot more from the system. In retrospect, perhaps it was a good thing that the other side refused to accept the 2010 verdict.
After the hearing concluded yesterday, it now seems almost certain that the judgement will be in favor of the Ram Mandir. The ‘secular’ side senses it too.
You can see this in how they are already working on ‘EVM hacking’ type conspiracy theories. Other symptoms would be tearing up papers, unnecessarily losing temper, etc. Neither is a way to put off what now seems inevitable.
This is a historic moment. Remember that the first court case on Ram Janmabhoomi was filed in 1855-56.
Let’s hope now that the verdict is not ‘secularized’ by tagging on unrelated issues. After a 164 year long wait, we deserve that this historic moment should be all out Hindus. It doesn’t mean that the sentiments of other communities are not important. All it means is that this one day should be all about Hindus.
What am I talking about? The ‘secular’ side is already urging the court to get into unrelated matters. Remember the headline yesterday that the Wakf Board is willing to withdraw its case? But that’s not what actually happened.
Rather, there seems to have been a draft affidavit that the Wakf Board would give up its claim under several conditions: essentially that Hindus could stake no more claims on any other structure anywhere else and that the government would have to start maintaining as many as 22 mosques.
Sorry, but that doesn’t seem fair at all. Hindus have waited patiently for 164 years to see this day. Hindus deserve a day that is all about them. Without unrelated considerations.
It doesn’t mean that those considerations aren’t important. Just that they are unrelated to the Ram Janmabhoomi title suit. If there are questions about mosques that were damaged in riots at some time, if there are questions of poverty and backwardness in the Muslim community, all that should be dealt with separately. There are numerous temples that have been vandalized in communal riots and the question of poverty has nothing to do with religion. What to do about that is an altogether unrelated issue.
The Courts have maintained that the Ram Janmabhoomi case is a title suit and it should remain that way. Having lived with Indian pseudo-secularism for so long, one feels fear that demands might surface for some kind of “compensation” to the other side. From demands for community specific welfare programs to construction of a Masjid somewhere else.
Let’s hope these fears do not come true.
Yes, we Hindus have come a long way. From the 2010 mentality of ready to take anything we can get to actually hoping for a day that is all about us. Jai Shri Ram.
