Babri Masjid demolition

Babri Masjid demolition
Duggempudi Ravinder Reddy · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Babri Masjid
Location	Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh
Coordinates	26°48′N 82°12′E
Established	1528
Demolished	6 December 1992
Architect	Mir Baqi
Religious affiliation	Islam
Style	Indo-Islamic

Babri Masjid demolition The demolition of a 16th-century mosque in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh resulted in a landmark communal and political crisis that reshaped contemporary Indian politics, judicial practice, and intercommunal relations. The event catalyzed mass mobilization by organizations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bharatiya Janata Party, and Vishwa Hindu Parishad and provoked responses from bodies like the Supreme Court of India, Central Bureau of Investigation, and international media outlets. It also intersected with historical claims involving figures such as Babur, Aurangzeb, and historians tied to debates over archaeological interpretation.

Background

The mosque, attributed to Mir Baqi during the reign of Babur in the early Mughal period, became a focal point of competing claims involving local actors such as the Nirmohi Akhara, the Gandhi family-era political establishment, and religious leaders including Mahant Avaidyanath and Mahant Nritya Gopal Das. Colonial records like those of the British East India Company and administrative orders from the North-Western Provinces period were invoked alongside accounts from antiquarians and archaeologists such as Alexander Cunningham and teams affiliated with the Archaeological Survey of India. Pilgrimage patterns to nearby sites including Ram Janmabhoomi and references in texts connected to Ramayana scholarship fueled competing narratives among communities represented by institutions such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.

Political and Religious Context

From the 1980s the movement for construction of a temple at the disputed site became intertwined with electoral strategies by the Bharatiya Janata Party and organizations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, which organized yatras, rallies, and campaigns invoking figures such as Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. The contest drew responses from leaders including P. V. Narasimha Rao, Lalu Prasad Yadav, and Mulayam Singh Yadav, and prompted appeals to institutions like the Supreme Court of India and the Allahabad High Court. International actors including the United Nations and diasporic communities in places such as London, New York City, and Dubai monitored developments, while scholars such as Romila Thapar and Irfan Habib debated historiography and archaeology with teams linked to the Archaeological Survey of India and private research bodies.

Demolition Events (6 December 1992)

On 6 December 1992, mobilized kar sevaks associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and escorted by leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party gathered in Ayodhya; key figures included Lal Krishna Advani and Uma Bharti. The crowd breached security deployments from the Uttar Pradesh Police and paramilitary contingents, overwhelming protective measures and culminating in the razing of the mosque structure. The incident sparked immediate mass mobilization across cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Bangalore, prompting curfews and emergency responses involving officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (India), state administrations in Uttar Pradesh, and intervention by the Supreme Court of India.

Legal Proceedings and Investigations

Following the event, multiple inquiries and legal actions involved entities including the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Liberhan Commission (a parliamentary inquiry), and judicial benches of the Allahabad High Court and Supreme Court of India. Cases addressed criminal liability of political and religious leaders, petitioners like the Nirmohi Akhara, and respondents including state officials. The lengthy Liberhan Commission report and subsequent trial court findings led to appeals and final determinations by a constitution bench of the Supreme Court of India that examined evidence from the Archaeological Survey of India and submissions from historians such as S. P. Gupta and D. N. Jha.

Aftermath and Communal Impact

The demolition precipitated widespread communal violence across India, with major riots in urban centers like Mumbai (1992–93) and incidents in districts across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat. Responses involved relief and rehabilitation efforts by organizations including the Red Cross, National Human Rights Commission (India), and local NGOs, while political fallout affected elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. Civil society figures such as Arun Shourie and Teesta Setalvad documented human rights concerns, and international reactions came from governments in United Kingdom, United States, and Pakistan as well as multilateral forums like the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Reconstruction Claims and Dispute Resolution

Legal contests over site ownership and reconstruction involved litigants including the Nirmohi Akhara, the Sunni Waqf Board (U.P.), and litigants representing devotees seeking a temple. The Allahabad High Court issued a 2010 judgment dividing the disputed land among parties, which was appealed to the Supreme Court of India; in 2019, a constitution bench delivered a final judgment instructing transfer of the disputed land for construction of a temple and allotting alternate land to the Sunni Waqf Board (U.P.). Implementation involved coordination with the Prayagraj-based legal machinery, trust formation by entities such as the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, and ceremonial events attended by leaders including Narendra Modi.

Legacy and Historical Debate

The episode continues to animate scholarly debate over historiography, archaeology, and communal politics, engaging historians from institutions such as Jawaharlal Nehru University, Aligarh Muslim University, and the Indian Council of Historical Research. It influenced legal doctrines on secularism adjudicated by the Supreme Court of India, electoral realignments for parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian National Congress, and cultural production in films and literature involving creators tied to Bollywood and regional media. Memory politics around the site persist in public discourse, academic symposia, and museum exhibitions curated by bodies like the Archaeological Survey of India and university presses.

Category:History of Uttar Pradesh