K.V. SEETHARAMAIAH
The Allahabad High Court has rightly allowed the Gyanvapi survey by Archelogical Survey of India (ASI) to know if the present-day mosque was built over a pre-existing temple. Many historical wrongs have occured during the Mughals rule. Though the Britishers ruled India for about 200 years, no case of Church built on temples has come out. The post-independent India has probably not witnessed the mosques built on temples. But most of the mosques built on temples pertain to the Mughal era. The intention of the Mughals was probably more to establish the supremacy of mosques over temples. Destruction of temples to build mosques was to annihilate the traces of Hinduism. Had there been no evil intention to displace the temples, the mosques could have been built in the areas where there existed no temples. While mosques were built on temples, the Mughals failed to eradicate the clues that indicated the existence of temples beneath the mosques. Places of Worship Act 1991 was enacted during the Narasihma Rao government to protect the interest of Muslims and to avert the possibility of the Hindu outfits laying claim over the alreay built mosques on temples in the coming years. A bench of Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker has felt the need for scientific survey in the interest of justice. The survey only can reveal whether there existed temple underneath the mosque. It may be illogical to stake claim over Gyanvapi mosque considering the Places of Worship Act. To bring legitimacy for staking claim, Places of Worship Act must be repealed. Even the holy Quran does not accept the destruction of one place of worship to build another. The masjid committee which manages the affairs of the Gyanvapi mosque has moved the Supreme Court with no success to stay the ASI survey. The Supreme Court has cautioned that it should be “non-invasive survey” without any excavation or causing damage to the structure of the mosque. This implies that the ASI is at liberty to take the photos or videos to prove anything that says that it was a temple before the masjid came up. If the existence of temple is proved, then the case may arise for excavation to take out th artefacts, if any, buried under the structure. The masjid committee has no reason to stall the survey. Survey is conducted only to know the historical truth about the existence of temple under mosque. If the committee is confident that no wrong was done in the past, it has no reason to obstruct the survey. If there is no clue to suggest that the mosque was built after demolishing or destroying the temple, the status quo would be maintained forever. Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura are most sacred places of Hindus. The UP Chief Minister Yogi Adithyanath has made a plea to Muslims for solutions from their side only. Dispute arises if it is called mosque, according to Yogi Adithyanath. The problem should be solved when it is small. The outcome of the survey is very important at this juncture.
