Remain alert on the new temple disputes

Two nearly identical religious disputes involving centuries-old temples and adjacent mosques are roiling the heartland, and more proof of this came on Tuesday, the 30th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. Mathura was convulsed by tension after a Right-wing group called for the Hanuman Chalisa to be chanted inside the Shahi Eidgah mosque, which they believe was built after razing a portion of the adjoining Krishna Janmabhoomi temple, the mythical birthplace of Lord Krishna. At least 22 people were detained and stopped from marching into the mosque as police clamped prohibitory orders at the spot. In Varanasi, where a case by Hindu petitioners demanding worshipping rights inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex has become a catalyst for Right-wing mobilisation, as many as six cases related to prayer rights within the embattled mosque complex were scheduled for hearing in various city courts. In matters so communally sensitive, a routine case hearing can be enough to light a spark.

As this newspaper has noted before, the deluge of litigation over the mosques that abut temples in Mathura and Varanasi is proof that these two cities are the sites of the new temple movement, just like Ayodhya was in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The organisation may be more diffused, and the tactic more focused on the courts than demonstrations, but there is little doubt that these two cities will remain communally sensitive in the years to come. With the 1991 Places of Worship Act — which acted to forestall claims on religious sites in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition — under the scanner in light of recent cases, the judiciary must spell out a clear stand on the issue. The administration must also remember the lessons from that fateful day in 1992, keep their guard up, and work in tandem to safeguard law and order. Governments have done well so far to thwart malafide attempts to ratchet up tensions, but must remain on their toes.