Inauguration of Ram Mandir in place of Babri Masjid, Condemned by Pakistan

Pakistan has condemned the construction of a Ram temple on the site of the demolished Babri Masjid in the Indian city of Ayodhya.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan has said in its statement released on Monday that the centuries-old Babri Masjid was demolished by a mob of extremists on December 6, 1992. It is a pity that the Supreme Court of India not only condemned this heinous act. acquitted the criminals responsible for the massacre, but also allowed the construction of a temple on the site of the demolished mosque.

The situation that has been going on for the last 31 years has resulted in the inauguration of Ram Mandir today (Pirku) which indicates the growing majoritarianism in India. This situation is an important aspect of the ongoing efforts to marginalize Muslims living in India socially, economically and politically.

According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs: ‘The temple built on the site of the demolished mosque will remain a stain on the face of future democracy. Notably, a growing list of mosques, including the Gyan Vapi Masjid in Varanasi and the Shahi Eidgah Masjid in Mathura, are facing similar threats of desecration and destruction.’

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the rising wave of ‘Hindutva’ ideology in India is a serious threat to religious harmony and regional peace. The chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, India’s two largest states, are calling the demolition of the Babri Masjid or the opening of the ‘Ram Mandir’ as the first step towards occupying parts of Pakistan.

The international community should take note of the growing Islamophobia, hate speech and hate crimes in India. The United Nations and other relevant international organizations should play their role in protecting Islamic heritage sites in India from extremist groups and ensuring the protection of religious and cultural rights of minorities in India.

“Pakistan urges the Indian government to ensure the safety and security of Muslims and religious minorities, including their holy places,” the Foreign Ministry statement added.

Inauguration of Ram Mandir by Indian Prime Minister Modi

Dressed in a traditional golden dress, Modi today unveiled a black stone statue of the Hindu god Rama in the center of the 50-meter (160-foot) long temple. The statue is built on the site where a mosque stood for centuries, which was demolished in 1992 at the instigation of his party’s extremists.

On the occasion of the inauguration of the temple, thousands of Hindus on the streets outside it waved flags and chanted religious slogans. On this occasion, Sankh and Dhol were also played. Military helicopters showered flower petals from the sky.

A few members of Ayodhya’s Muslim community were also seen on the streets on the occasion, while opposition leaders did not attend the inauguration ceremony of the temple.

In 1992, Hindu extremists demolished a 16th-century mosque in the city of Ayodhya in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, saying it was built over an ancient temple where Lord Rama took birth seven thousand years ago. had taken

Role of Indian Supreme Court

The conflict strained relations between Muslims and Hindus for decades, with over 2,000 people killed in Muslim-majority riots that erupted after the mosque’s demolition.

In a controversial ruling in 2019, India’s Supreme Court ordered the Babri Masjid site to be handed over to Hindus and land allotted elsewhere in the city to build a replacement mosque.

The court had also said that the demolition of the Babri Masjid was illegal. After the court verdict, the construction of the temple at a cost of about 180 million dollars was immediately started, the ground floor of which will be inaugurated by the Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22.

Meanwhile, Muslim groups are facing difficulties in raising funds for the construction of a mosque in a remote area about 25 km from the Ram temple built on the site of the Babri Masjid.

IICF president Zafar Ahmed Farooqui told Reuters: ‘We have not approached anyone for funds and have not launched any public movement.’

In contrast, Prime Minister Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and affiliated Hindu groups began collecting donations for the Ram temple more than three decades ago, and four million people in India have donated to it. More than 30 billion rupees have been deposited from the fund.

Modi’s inauguration of the temple will once again cast him as the protector of Hinduism in what appears to be a well-thought-out plan ahead of the general elections due in April.

The opening of the Ram temple is expected to boost the Hindu nationalist BJP’s chances of victory in next year’s general elections, as it fulfills one of its key campaign promises.

Nastula Haber, political editor of The Hindu newspaper, told AFP that the inauguration would show the ruling party’s “religious nationalism”.

According to him: ‘The timing of the opening has to do with the fact that the BJP is going to the polls.’

Background

Hindus believe that Lord Rama was born seven thousand years ago at the same place in Ayodhya where Babur, a Muslim emperor of the 16th century, demolished a temple and built a mosque, known as Babri Masjid.

The BJP played an important role in the public campaign, which eventually led to the demolition of the mosque.

Senior party leader Lal Kishan Advani had taken out a nationwide rally for the campaign aimed at demolishing the Babri Masjid. As a result of the BJP’s campaigns, several religious riots broke out.

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