AYODHYA, India — The site of a demolished mosque in India is to be divided between Hindus and Muslims, an Indian court ruled Thursday. The court in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh gave the Hindu community control over the section where the now demolished Babri Mosque stood and where a small makeshift tent-shrine to the Hindu god Rama rests. Muslims revere the compound in Ayodhya as the former site of the mosque, built in 1528 by the Mughal emperor Babur, while Hindus say it is the birthplace of Rama and contend that a temple to the god stood on the site before the mosque. About 80 percent of India's 1.1 billion plus population are Hindus. Muslims represent 13 percent — some 140 million people — putting it behind Indonesia and Pakistan in the ranks of Muslim populations. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed for calm as the government extended its ban on bulk texting to stop people from sending mass messages that could incite violence . Singh has called the verdict one of the country's biggest security challenges. There were no immediate reports of violence after the ruling, but as a precaution, more than 200,000 police fanned out in India on Thursday to guard against riots. The High Court in the state of Uttar Pradesh was locked down ahead of the verdict and only those directly involved in the case were allowed inside. Preparing for violence But from the capital New Delhi to the financial hub Mumbai and towns of the northern Hindu "cow belt" along the holy Ganges river, many Indians waited with apprehension on the verdict, some staying at home and stocking up with food ahead of the verdict.India court says mosque site to be divided
Hindus, Muslims have long fought over site, which holds significance for both groups
Its outcome will be a barometer of whether a rapidly globalizing India with a growing middle class and an interest in investor stability has shed some of the religious extremism that often marred its post-independence years.The verdict came only days before Sunday's opening of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, with the government wanting to project an image of stability and modernity to the world.
Commentators said the verdict is unlikely to spark widespread riots that hit Mumbai and other cities in 1992. There is little electoral headway to be made in egging on religious riots in post-economic reform India.
Thursday, 30 September 2010
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An Indian policeman stands guard in front of the landmark Charminar, ahead of a court verdict on whether Hindus or Muslims should control a disputed holy site in Ayodhya, in Hyderabad, India, on Thursday.
msnbc.com news services
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