Thursday, September 30, 2010

Thoughts on Ayodhya dispute

It's a judgement that the whole of India was watching. For most of us, the concern was about the repercussions rather than what the Allahabad High Court bench had decided. It's an issue that has been a point for dispute for over a century now, and however optimistic we may be, there will always be the lingering doubt whether we have actually reached a final, amicable resolution.


For those of you who are unaware of the history behind the dispute, this article from Livemint.com would be a good start. Today's judgement throws up a mix of reactions. Is the formula arrived at a hasty compromise rather than a long-term solution? Obviously, the courts have deliberated over this case long enough; the 8500-page judgement being adequate proof.


Will splitting the disputed land ensure peace for one and all? Doesn't it reinforce the divisions that exist between the two communities? From a land that prides itself on its secular traditions and unity in diversity, was this the only way out? Can't all communities come together and build a multi-religious centre of worship, or a museum that celebrates India's diverse culture? Is our secularism best left for the constitution, for speeches on Independence and Republic days, and our textbooks?


The whole country has been praying for peace. But is our notion of peace an absence of violence, or one of goodwill and harmony?


As will be the case with all posts on this forum, your thoughts are always welcome.

16 comments:

  1. Via Naveen Kr Jindal:
    Kya Banaane Aye The Kya Bana Baithe,
    Kahi Mandir Bana Baithe, Kahi Maszid Bana Baithe,
    Hum Se To Jaat Achchi Hai Parindo Ki,
    Kabhi Mandir Pe Ja Baithe, Kabhi Maszid Pe Ja Baithe

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  2. The 'VERDICT' is, in OB-speak, a compromise rather than collaboration...but I believe it was the only option available to the judges...to maintain calm, not to foster peace and harmony.

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  3. The idea of a multicultural center is really thought provoking..

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  4. We have been witnessing plethora of social issues (big or small) daily on local, national or international basis. A very old issue in India is the unresolved issue of Ayodhya (although the court has announced a verdict on it yesterday, but in essence its a never ending issues if things continue the way they are now!).


    How do we solve issues like these? Specially When there are multiple parties are involved (in the present case every emotionally +religiously charged Indian!), and when no one is ready for a compromised solution. The court tried to bring a compromised solution but everyone knows that; there is no dearth of instigators for igniting these issues in any part of the world.


    My take on this is three way:


    First way: The different stakeholders use their muscle power (as they have been using for the past 18 years), and somewhere in the coming 10 to fifteen years a winner (so called!) emerges (who so ever survived the fight!).


    Second way: A third neutral party takes control of the matter and make a compromised decision, as was shown in the present decision (although people would appeal in the higher court!). But in the end there remains a forever tension between the parties involved.


    Third way (best way): This is the most impossible way to solve these issues but a comprehensive one! All parties forgo their egos and understand that there are some more important issues to be solved in our society (and I don't think that I need to name them here), and everyone comes to acceptable ground where nobody tries to win over other. This is the win-win solution. Why? Simply because everyone understands they fighting over this issues would hurt everyone, and the final gain in the form of victory over the other party would be negligible in comparison to the cost involved, i.e. they all come to the understanding that it would be a Pyrrhic victory.


    We have been brainwashed by the same society on these matters. And we believe in what we think is right. But rightness again a matter of debate. And debate always happens on things we believe in...If we had clear facts and only facts, we would always come to solutions without debating. But facts change when beliefs change...


    It is second of the many posts that I have written in "Idea to Ponder series" (you can visit all of them here:http://bit.ly/d3bzTi).

    -Taken from the original post:http://bit.ly/d3bzTi

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  5. I think the verdict is a reflection of today's India, India that is growing @9%, In 1992( When Babri masjid was attacked) India was growing@2.2%, In 1992,There were 4 Lakhs Computers,today there are 4.4 miliion Computers
    So the judgement is a reflection of the fact that these matters(Ayodhaya) will not make india grow at a faster pace. it wil not raise the standard of living. In my view it is mature judgement,giving a chance to society in general, to patch up and work on real issues

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  6. i think now both the parties will got to SC for review. so implementation will take more time. acknowledgment of existence of mandir is somewhat silent victory for hindu litigants. the judgment is basically a closure to the burning issue.

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  7. The country has reacted maturely to it..thats the best part of it..

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  8. @Ideas: The third way that you have listed, would actually be the way forward. Time is a great healer, and I can see people burying the hatchet, a few more years down the line.

    @Karan: Couldn't agree with you more. The issue with the courts deciding on the matter, is that law is not above the people, but by and for the people, really.

    Each order that the masses are not willing to respect, dents the sanctity of the judiciary. Ayodhya could have been one more dent, and a big one, if the courts hadn't settled for an appease-all solution.

    I am confident that a few more years down the line, this issue will have faded into oblivion. It won't remain front page news, and no one would take a day off, to be safe.

    I can't help but wonder, would millions have rushed home early on the day of the verdict, and sacrificed a half a day of productivity, had the media not sensationalised it?

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  9. We always knew is always going to be tricky. The issue's sensitivity meant the judges had to think a bit beyond law. But still I am a bit disappointed that a deity can be considered a juristic person and that belief and faith can override facts.

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  10. Inevitably, the case will be put up infront of the Supreme Court. I take it as a mere prevarication of the matter till the time CWG security concern is high in the minds of the Government. Many will think that political parties have played maturely by not inciting any communal feelings but I guess Congress and BJP are still in a dilemma whether to openly cling to one extreme or not. Though Mulayam Singh Yadav and Laloo Prasad Yadav have both come in the support of Suni Waqf Board but considering they are sitting at the sidelines of power politics, their opinion doesn't really matter.
    It's good to see that political parties are becoming mature enough to foresee their loss in the vote bank by clutching to a religious issue and in a way letting the equanimity prevail in the country.

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  11. No est? seguro de que esto es verdad:), pero gracias a un cargo.

    Edwas

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  12. I personally believe its about time we let sleeping dogs lie. If the game is be played on strictly communal lines, it will never see a solution- a sort of a zero-sum game. We must also understand that any Government (even if it be the mighty GoI ;) cannot act [i] retrospectively [/i]. Yes, there have been issues in the past, and the future will see a fair share too, but as they say, Hate begets hate.

    Now over to the sunny side. The little that I have, its heartening to see that the verdict has been received across communal lines with open arms. There's been none of the backlash and the rioting we so dreadfully expected. Is it a sign of us maturing as a country and people? I sincerely hope so...

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