Too early to say, but generally I’m happy with the Ayodhya verdict. No – not because Ram Janmabhoomi is now accepted by the court. Not because Muslims got a share. Not because 1/3rd of the jury was Muslim, so that there’s fair representation. And, not at all because a temple is going to be built in Ayodhya.
I’m happy because my country is not burning. Happy for the thousands who could possibly have lost their lives. Waris Mazhari*, editor of Urdu magazine Tarjuman-e-Dar-ul-Uloom reacted: "I think if the Sunni Waqf Board would have won the entire case then our community would have suffered more. I strongly believe a large number of Muslims are fed up of the Babri mosque issue and we want to move ahead."
It is a fact that a unilateral ruling would have ignited unprecedented passions. It is also a fact that a lot of political mileage could have been drawn from such a verdict. Thankfully, that’s all over. Indian judiciary has prevailed.
I’m reminded of the Maha Bharath in which the Kauravas denied the Pandavas even the space to plant a needle. That obstinacy led to one of the biggest wars in mythology. We can be thankful for the fact the heads of the Allahabad High Court did not think like the court of Duryodhana.
I had written in my last post about the perfect storm. Part of it has been averted. It is in moments like these that you believe in God!
@ Waris Mazhari and everyone:
Allahabad means the City of God in Persian (I think the obvious reference is to Allah). It is in the City of God that the honorable judges declared their verdict. Incidentally, Allahabad is also called Prayag, which in Sanskrit means place of sacrifice. Let’s sacrifice our egos and move ahead. Both these religions believe God is omnipresent - with or without a place of worship.
*Thanks to Rediff
Good post. I agree wholeheartedly, of course. (Which is why I liked the post in the first place--"they" say you only read columns you agree with.)
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