Writer Barkha Dutt commented on the Supreme Court of India's ruling on the location of the Babri mosque that the decision, which came three decades later, legally closed one of the most divisive religious disputes of this era and paved the way for the construction of a Hindu temple on the site.
Dutt, an Indian TV journalist and broadcaster, noted that although the response to the ruling has eased so far, it will take some time to see if the cause is fatigue, a generational shift or a power disparity between Hindus and Muslims. May be deadly.
She said in a Washington Post article that the real closure would in fact depend on how India deals with more than 175 million Muslim citizens, and anything other than fair justice will leave only deep scars and serious wounds.
The decision will allow the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to further strengthen their political fortunes as the temple is built ahead of elections in India's most politically important state of Uttar Pradesh, Dutt said.
The author warned that although there have been no violent incidents, protests or manifestations of celebration since the announcement of the verdict last Saturday, this should not mean indifference.
If this requires Muslims to accept the construction of a Ram temple at the site, Hindu groups must pay equal attention to the court, she said, saying that the demolition of the mosque was a "serious violation of the rule of law" and that "it is necessary to provide compensation to the Muslim community for the illegal destruction of This will only be possible if those responsible for the demolition of the Babri mosque are punished.
At the moment, ideologues also have to show pity and compassion to Muslim citizens. One way to curb any joy for the budding majority is for Modi to reshape the most controversial Hindu policies. To begin with, the proposed new legislation on citizenship rights that links citizenship to religion and enables only non-Muslim refugees or immigrants from neighboring countries to become Indian citizens, including discrimination against Muslims, should be repealed or changed.
India owes Muslim citizens a remedy for this sense of political marginalization that was evident in the 2019 elections when the ruling party submitted only seven Muslim candidates - and in 2017 elections in Uttar Pradesh - where the temple will be built - when the party did not present any Muslim candidate, Dutt said.
She concluded that for the sake of true reconciliation, the temple and mosque approved by the court should be opened to Muslims nearby, on the same day and with the same celebrations.