THE DEMOLITION AND THE VERDICT AYODHYA AND THE PROJECT TO RECONFIGURE INDIA

<p>Description</p><p>The Ram temple issue has been at the epicentre of Indian politics since the mid</p><p>1980s. The question-'mandir or masjid'- dominated political discourse without</p><p>an apparent resolution - until the Supreme Court delivered its judgement on 9</p><p>November 2019. The 5-member bench in a unanimous verdict gave the ownership</p><p>of the 2.77 acres of disputed land to the Ram Janmabhoomi trust, and ordered it</p><p>to build a temple on the site. Though an alternative five acres of land was awarded</p><p>to the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board to build a mosque to replace the demolished</p><p>masjid, the scales were clearly tilted in favour of the Hindu petitioners, and as many</p><p>commentators noted, the judges had in effect legitimized what they themselves had</p><p>called a 'criminal act'.</p><p>This unprecedented, comprehensive book looks at the key moments in the Ram</p><p>Janmabhoomi agitation, from the events of 1949, Rajiv Gandhi's 'unlocking of the</p><p>gates' in 1986, L K Advani's Rath Yatra in 1990, the demolition of the masjid in</p><p>1992, culminating in an in-depth analysis of the 9 November judgement. It gives an</p><p>objective analysis of the core issue: was the mosque actually built by Babur, and did</p><p>there exist a Ram temple?</p><p>More importantly, the book examines how the Ram Janmabhoomi agitation</p><p>propelled the BJP from being a marginal political party into becoming the dominant</p><p>political force today. Mukhopadhyay analyses how politics over the Ram temple</p><p>secured support for the militant Hindu nationalistic idea and assesses the road ahead</p><p>for India and the long-term implications of the imminent construction of the Ram</p><p>temple.</p><p><br></p>