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Revision as of 23:45, 13 November 2003 by LibertarianAnarchist (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Babri Mosque (also Babri Masjid) was a mosque constructed by the Muslim emperor of India Babar in Ayodhya in the 16th century after an ancient Hindu temple at the site was destroyed. The temple was built to commemorate the birthplace of Rama, who Hindus believe was an incarnation of Vishnu and ruler of Ayodhya.
The mosque which was a disused structure was ordered sealed in 1949 by a magistrate after idols of Lord Rama mysteriously appeared and Hindus started offering prayers.
In 1986 the mosque was ordered reopened by a court at the request of the Hindu philanthropic organization, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP, "World Hindu Council") to allow Hindus to worship there.
In 1990, Lal Krishna Advani, a top member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) began a campaign tour (a rathayatra, or "chariot-journey") to build support for a Rama temple at the mosque site. His call was to shift the mosque "brick by brick" since the structure was important to Muslims while the land was important to Hindus. The VHP also negotiated with the All India Babri Masjid Action Committee (AIBMAC), an organisation created to represent the interests of Muslims in the mosque, over the site, with VHP presenting evidence to the court.
The mosque was destroyed on December 6, 1992, by a crowd which went out of control. Despite the efforts of RSS volunteers who formed a human chain to prevent the destruction of the mosque, the crowd could not be controlled.
Following the destruction of the disused mosque, communal riots broke out between Hindus and Muslims across India. It is generally accepted that the campaign to restore the site of the Rama temple and the demands for repealing special benefits for Muslims and treating Hindus as equals were responsible for the BJP's meteoric rise to power.
Since then, the AIBMAC has been campaigning to have the mosque rebuilt at the same site, while the VHP has been moving forward with plans to build a Rama temple there. In December 2002 the VHP announced that it would construct the temple in a year and a half (i.e., mid 2004).
In 2003, excavations were ordered by the court and evidence that the mosque was built at the site of an earlier temple was unearthed. The excavations were overseen by all parties involved and were validated by independent groups. These findings were promptly rejected by the Communists and other political parties which depend on the Muslim vote bank.
See also: Ram Janmabhoomi movement, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Hindutva, All India Babri Masjid Action Committee