The parties concerned must approach the mediation with open hearts and find a solution that leads to lasting peace
Current Affairs: The appropriation of history is a continual process in any society. However, in a multi-religious society like India, appropriations drawing exclusively on communal identities engender endless conflicts. The appropriation of history with regard to the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute has been at the core of a violent political movement — one which has claimed the lives of many Indian citizens.
On Friday, the Supreme Court of India ordered the parties in the Ayodhya title dispute to go for in-camera mediation. The court also appointed a panel of mediators headed by a former Justice of the Supreme Court. The court’s decision to look for a mediated solution, as opposed to a contested one does not come as surprise. In order to understand the court’s decision, it is imperative to first understand the history of the conflict.
The most contested piece of real estate in India
Deep within the lanes of Ayodhya is a 0.313-acre piece of land — arguably the most contested real estate in India. Hindus consider it the birthplace of Lord Rama, the Ram Janmabhoomi. It is believed that nearly 500 years ago, in 1528, Babur’s general Mir Baqi destroyed a Ram temple to erect at the spot a mosque, called the Babri Masjid.
Shortly after partition and the Independence of India, in December 1949, idols of Ram and Sita appeared at the ‘Janmasthan’. The Hindus claim that this was a miracle, and proof of their claim that the place was the birthplace of Lord Rama. Contrary to this theory, the FIR recorded at Ayodhya police station on December 23 states that three individuals (Abdy Ram Das, Ram Shukla Das and Sudarshan Das), along with some 50-60 people, had trespassed the mosque in order to install the idol.
