Ayodhya verdict: Court divides disputed site between Hindus and Muslims, says Ram temple to be built alongside 'Babri' mosque

One of the most awaited judgment in known history, the verdict of Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid civil suit, has finally arrived.

The fact that this dispute has evoked unprecedented frenzy and passion in the past, it was expected that no judgment can completely satisfy any of the sides.

But the judges seem to have gone the extra-mile in trying to settle the case and also come up with a workable formula where no side gets absolutely heartbroken or feeling that there not an iota of justice with them.

Initial understanding of the summary of the verdict delivered by the three judges bench, suggests an attempt to diffuse the dispute that has caused communal discord between the two major religious communities, riots and thousands of deaths.

The site has to be divided equally among the three parties. The idol of Lord Rama will remain where it was installed. The remaining 2/3rd will be divided between Nirmohi Akhada and the Sunni Waqf Board. The judges in unison opined that the idols will remain where they exist.

The petitioners may not have asked for a compromise or a sharing formula, but the court decided that Hindus and Muslims have prayed side by side at the complex in the past, it can happen again in future as well. So Muslims can have mosque at the remaining 1/3rd.

In the past, courts in this case and other similar cases have given judgments that were termed one-sided. Presently, even if the judges have gone ahead and tried to sort out this dispute, this is quite understandable though Justice Sharma disagreed with Justice SU Khan and Justice Sudhir Agarwal.

Perhaps, Sunni Waqf Board may still decide to appeal against the verdict. Everybody is entitled to his opinion but personally I feel that the Muslim leaders should gracefully accept it, and put an end to this conflict, which will also bring harmony.

The majority judgment appears to have decided in favour of Hindus and Muslims praying together, which is the halmark of the composite culture, the ganga-jamuni tehzib, for which citizens of Oudh used to take pride. Hashim Ansari, 90, says he welcomes the judgment.

After all, Ayodhya or Ajodhya [Ajudhya] literally means a place of no war. So there should not be any bloodshed or conflict over the issue in future. One hopes, that the issue is over. At least, with regard to its potential in terms of communal polarisation and dividing society.

The 'Shaharyar' of Urdu literature: Poetry, profile and selected couplets

True to his name, poet Shaharyar* rules over the Urdu literary landscape in the sub-continent, particularly, India.

Kunwar Akhlaq Khan 'Shaharyar' was born in Aonla [Anwla] town in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly district. He published a monthly magazine, Ghalib, in 1959.

While many of his generation spent themselves early and faded from the scene, Shaharyar remains as prolific as he was three decades ago. He is loved by masses as well as classes.

His ghazals like 'dil cheez kya hai aap meri jaan lijiye' and other verses that were used as lyrics in Bollywood movies including Umrao Jaan and Gaman further added to his popularity. As a result his ghazal spread across non-Hindustani speaking regions.

He has won many prestigious awards including the Sahitya Akademi and the recently announced Jnanpith Award.

Here is a selection of his couplets:

ummiid se kam chashm-i-khariidaar meN aaye
ham log zaraa der se baazaar meN aaye

sabhii ko gham hai samandar ke khushk hone kaa
ki khel khatm huaa kashtiyaaN Dubone kaa

na jiskii shakl hai koii na jiskaa naam hai koii
ek aisii shakl kaa kyuuN hameN azl se intezaar hai

phir kahiiN Khwaab-o-haqiiqat kaa tasaadum hogaa
phir koii manzil-e-benaam bulaati hai hameN

zindagii jaisii tavaqqo thii, nahiiN, kuchh kam hai
har ghaRii hotaa hai ehsaas kahiiN kuchh kam hai

log sar phoR kar bhii dekh chuke
gham kii diivaar TuuTtii hii nahiiN

is natiije pe pohaNchte haiN sabhii aaKhir meN
haasil-e-sair-e-jahaaN kuchh nahiiN hairaani hai

markaz-e-diida-o-dil teraa tasavvur thaa kabhii
aaj is baat pe kitni haNsii aati hai hameN

voh dekh lo, voh samandar khushk hone lagaa
jise thaa daava merii pyaas bujhaane kaa

zamiiN terii kashish khiiNchti rahii hamko
gaye zaruur the kuchh duur mahtaab ke saath

For reading these couplets in Urdu script and Hindi. Click here.

For reading Shaharyar's other Ghazals and Nazms in Urdu, Roman English and Hindi scripts at my other blog, Best Ghazals, on the link here.


UPDATE: Shaharyar passed away on February 13, 2012. He was suffering from lung cancer and died after brief illness at his residence in Aligarh. The news of his death has saddened poetry lovers, the literary community and those who loved the poet. Shaharyar was 76. Owing to popularity of his lyrics for movies like Umrao Jan and Gaman, his fame had spread outside literary world also.

*Shaharyar means king or one who has suzerainty.

[This is part of the series on renowed Urdu poets. Earlier posts on other poets can be seen in the archives]

Man says dog 'untouchable' after 'lower caste' family fed it

A man said that his pet dog had become untouchable after it was fed roti by a Dalit [lower caste] family in the neighbourhood. Worse, the man abandoned the dog and threatened the Dalit family, asking them to pay compensation for spoiling the dog.

This is another example of the horrible caste practices and prejudices that are prevalent in Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh. The case got attention due to the recently initiated public hearing scheme in which citizens can meet top officials on a week day and make direct complaints to them.

The incident occurred in Malikpur in Morena district. The Dalit family was fearful to live in the area. The neighbour was forcing them to either pay him Rs 15,000 for the loss of his 'well-bred' dog who had been corrupted or face consequences. Even the Panchayat members supported the oppressor.

Incidentally, in this case also the accused doesn't belong to the Upper Castes, rather he is a member of a dominant backward caste. Moneyed and land owning OBCs are harassing Dalits and Tribals in many parts of the country.

The District Magistrate and the DIG also appeared shocked by the incident. The officials concerned have been asked to take action and provide security to the family of the victim Chandan Jatav.

Chandan's wife Sunita insists that she was returning from fields and had an extra 'roti' which she gave to the dog but the neighbour was aghast, threatening her to face the consequences for the act.

In fact, discriminations due to caste and economic status don't get adequate attention in media. In my last post regarding Shobhaa De's article on denial of admission to Muslim youths in colleges, I had mentioned that discriminations are all around and not limited to any particular community alone.

How would a family feel when they are told that even the dog gets untouchable if they touch or feed him? It's horrible. It shows how poor communities in rural and semi-urban India continue to face segregation and humiliation.

Perhaps, it was because of the public hearing scheme that the news came out and reached officials, else such complaints are not even registered at the police station level, where complainants are simply turned away.

A mosque that briefly turns temple every year: Communal Harmony Project-15

It's unbelievable but true. There exists a mosque where the idol of Hindu god is kept once every year for a period of ten days with no communal disturbance ever in the last three decades.

Right now all eyes are focused on Ayodhya, ahead of the verdict over the Ram Temple-Babri Masjid controversy.

But, on the other hand we have such shining examples of communal harmony, as reported by journalist Chandan Haygunde.

He writes about Gotkhindi town in Maharashtra's Sangli district gives an indication about the unique diversity of the country as also the fact that how far the common man can go in terms of being liberal and accomodating for others.

By any standards the Muslims of Gotkhindi have gone out of the way in search of coexistence and amity. The twon has a population of 12,000 and just 2.5% population is Muslim.

The tradition began over three decades back when rains suddenly came and the idol of Lord Ganesha were kept in open. It was suggested to keep the idols in the mosque for the period. Even though it goes against the monatheistic beliefs, Muslims obliged and the practice continues to this day.

Haygunde must be congratulated for the brilliant report, 'At Peace' published in Indian Express. The story can be interpreted in many ways but it is just once story. There are tens of thousands of stories of harmony by Hindus and Muslims [& other communities], unbelievable gestures that have not been told or properly publicised.

As a result of exaggerated reporting of the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid dispute, an image of perpetual Hindu-Muslim conflict was formed in the minds of citizens, which hurt the integrity as also caused incalculable damage to the society. [Photo by Hansraj Patil]

[Harmony exists all around us but is often ignored. Instead, stories of hate, discord and communalism get spread easily.

There are a million examples in our daily lives across India but they don't get promoted, hence, news of hate and discord gets heard more. Let's change it, now. This is a small attempt to change it through Communal Harmony Project]

For reading similar reports on this blog, Click the link HERE and also find out more about Communal Harmony Project

#communalharmony #communalharmonyproject #india

Communalism Vs Harmony: Peace can foil fundamentalists' strategy on Ayodhya dispute

Guest post

The ownership rights of the land on which Babri Masjid once stood, rests with the Sunni Waqf Board but the case is in the court and the verdict is expected on September 24.

The leaders of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh [RSS] seem delighted as they have sensed another opportunity for a conflict with Hindus and Muslims. Whatever RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said at a press conference organised by Women's Press Club in Delhi recently, can only be termed disgraceful in any civilised society.

Bhagwat said that Indian Muslims should give proof of their patriotism. He claims that the minority can't be trusted and the community should come forward and send a message that it doesn't have loyalty outside the borders of the country.

In one stroke, Bhagwat abused the entire Indian Muslim populace who are citizens of this nation. Bhagwat needs to be asked about his locus standi before expressing such views. After all, when the founding fathers of RSS, Hedgewar and Golwalkar, were busy in sycophancy of the British maters, the rest of Indians including the Muslims were standing together and giving sacrifices for independence.

In 1920, when the entire nation was standing with Gandhi and the imperialists were losing never against the tsunami of pro-independence emotion, British government accepted the apology of VD Savarkar who was in jail then and released him on the condition that he would form an organisation that will divide Hindus and Muslims.

Any student of history will tell that soon after his release Sawarkar wrote his book 'Hindutva'. On the basis of the book and the narrow Hindutva ideology espoused by him, RSS was formed by a 'doctor' in 1925. Later Hedgewar scripted his scheme for causing discord between Hindus and Muslims, which gave relief to British as communalism spread its tentacles.

For 27 years, nationalist movement remained at its peak but not a single RSS leader was jailed though tens of thousands of Indians were incarcerated in this period. While it kept a distance from freedom movement, RSS leaders' names came up during the course of investigation in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

Still, when the chief of RSS asks Muslims to give certificate of his patriotism, ordinary Indians get angry. It is necessary to keep fundamentalist forces in check. Unfortunately, the leaders of Muslim community, knowingly or unknowingly, fell in the trap during the period of 1986-1992 and their actions strengthened RSS-VHP...

...On September 24, the verdict in the Ram Janmabhumi Temple-Babri mosque case is expected and the onus is on secular parties to ensure that communal forces are not allowed to further their agenda. While addressing journalists in Delhi, Sangh chief said that the RSS would not do anything that would go against law.

However, in the very next sentence he said, 'after the judgment the Sant Samaj would decide the next course of action'. Everyone is aware that VHP had formed the Dharma Sansad in the earlier 90s and it comprised Sadhus close to Sangh Parivar.

In this game, VHP was the nodal agency and mobilised fundamental forces. Bhagwat's statement suggests that on this occasion VHP will be kept behind and the Babas would be given charge. On the last occasion, VHP had collected huge funds and the lure of money can attract some groups of Sadhus to fall in RSS line.

Secular leadership remains passive while Muslims have no fresh leadership. The police alone may not be able to hold fundamentalist forces in check. In this scenerio, Mayawati should also ensure that BSP workers get to the streets. If lakhs of party activists go out to ensure calm, the timid fundamentalists would not be visible anywhere.

Mayawati has a historic opportunity to win the trust of all the secular minded Indians. If she is able to check attempts to fan communal hatred and ensure that Uttar Pradesh remains riot-free, she will gain respect of the society.

The RSS leaders have aspirations to be recoginised as leaders of all Hindus. But they can only be leaders of Hindutva-wadis, as just 3% Indians are members of either the RSS or BJP. The rest are peace loving citizens who stand against communal and divisive forces and consider Muslims as their brothers.

[Sheshi Narayan Singh is a senior journalist and commentator. This article was published in Roznama Sahara, Delhi.]