BBC Online :
Tens of thousands of Hindus, including monks and right-wing activists, are descending on the flashpoint Indian religious site of Ayodhya.
The northern city has been a key point of tension between Hindus and Muslims. In the past few months, there have been renewed calls to build a temple on the spot, where a 16th Century mosque was demolished by Hindu mobs in 1992. Between 100,000 and 200,000 Hindus are expected to gather at Ayodhya on Sunday, demanding that a Hindu temple be built where the 16th Century Babri mosque once stood. Hindus believe the religious site in the state of Uttar Pradesh is the birthplace of one of their most revered deities, Lord Ram. But Muslims say they have worshipped there for generations. Tensions between the two communities came to a violent head in 1992 when a Hindu mob destroyed the mosque. Nearly 2,000 people were killed in subsequent riots across the country. But now, after various attempts to claim ownership over the land by both religious groups, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been scaling up efforts to build a Hindu temple there. The crowds who are expected to gather at
the site are from various hardline right-wing groups, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Shiv Sena. Local media reports say that walls in districts surrounding the site have been plastered with posters that show Lord Ram going to war. Others contain slogans that are essentially war cries against what they call the inability by previous governments to get the temple constructed. The situation has prompted a sense of panic and fear among Ayodhya’s Muslim residents, many of whom have plans to leave the area before the crowds descend. “This is the biggest build-up in favour of a temple since the mosque was destroyed. They are provoking the public. They are stirring up emotions,” Ahmad, a Muslim community leader, told the Reuters news agency. The call for the construction of a Hindu temple in Ayodhya has grown particularly loud in the last few months and has mostly come from MPs, ministers and leaders from the BJP. Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, sends more MPs to parliament than any other state. A big win in the state is essential for any party hoping to form the next government.
Tens of thousands of Hindus, including monks and right-wing activists, are descending on the flashpoint Indian religious site of Ayodhya.
The northern city has been a key point of tension between Hindus and Muslims. In the past few months, there have been renewed calls to build a temple on the spot, where a 16th Century mosque was demolished by Hindu mobs in 1992. Between 100,000 and 200,000 Hindus are expected to gather at Ayodhya on Sunday, demanding that a Hindu temple be built where the 16th Century Babri mosque once stood. Hindus believe the religious site in the state of Uttar Pradesh is the birthplace of one of their most revered deities, Lord Ram. But Muslims say they have worshipped there for generations. Tensions between the two communities came to a violent head in 1992 when a Hindu mob destroyed the mosque. Nearly 2,000 people were killed in subsequent riots across the country. But now, after various attempts to claim ownership over the land by both religious groups, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been scaling up efforts to build a Hindu temple there. The crowds who are expected to gather at
the site are from various hardline right-wing groups, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Shiv Sena. Local media reports say that walls in districts surrounding the site have been plastered with posters that show Lord Ram going to war. Others contain slogans that are essentially war cries against what they call the inability by previous governments to get the temple constructed. The situation has prompted a sense of panic and fear among Ayodhya’s Muslim residents, many of whom have plans to leave the area before the crowds descend. “This is the biggest build-up in favour of a temple since the mosque was destroyed. They are provoking the public. They are stirring up emotions,” Ahmad, a Muslim community leader, told the Reuters news agency. The call for the construction of a Hindu temple in Ayodhya has grown particularly loud in the last few months and has mostly come from MPs, ministers and leaders from the BJP. Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, sends more MPs to parliament than any other state. A big win in the state is essential for any party hoping to form the next government.
