Thursday, September 30, 2010

Ram Janmabhumi-Babri Masjid verdict delivered


Video: The Allahabad High Court has delivered its verdict on Ram Janmabhumi-Babri Masjid case

The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has delivered its verdict that the land under the central dome of the demolished Babri Masjid is the Ram Janmasthan (place where Lord Ram was born).

The contentious Ram Janmabhumi-Babri Masjid title issue is 60 years old. On title suit the three-judge special bench comprising of Justice Sibghat Ullah Khan, Justice Sudhir Agrawal and Justice Dharam Veer Sharma ruled that the disputed 2.77 acres of land be divided into three parts; one-third for the party representing 'Ram Lala Virajman', one-third for Sunni Wakf Board and one-third to Nirmohi Akhara. But status quo is to be maintained for three months at the site in Ayodhya, the court has ruled.

Senior lawyer Ravi Shankar Prasad who represented Mahant Raghuvar Das said, "The honorable judges have dismissed Muslims suit and they have partly allowed suit number five by Hindus. One judge has partly and one has fully allowed. But the majority has decided that the land will be divided in three parts. The court has said in three months till then it is status quo."

Sunni Wakf Board lawyer Zafaryab Jilani said, "We don't accept the one-third formula. We accept the mosque as an intact body. But we believe there is no need for resentment as the matter will go to the Supreme Court." said. The Sunni Wakf Board said that it would challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court of India.

Hindu Mahasabha counsel P. L. Mishra said that that verdict had something for every one, adding, "Honourable Justice Agarwal has said that pooja has always been performed on the land where the Ram Lala exists. Lord Ram will continue to exist there. But, the Nirmohi Akhara has been using the premises as well. The Muslims have also been offering namaz there. Hence, the land will be divided into three and each of them will receive their part. The government-acquired land under Special Acquisition Act of 1993 will be divided and then, other infrastructure requirements for entry and exit of the three parts will be put up."

The area under the central dome of the three-domed structure where Lord Ram's idol exists belonged to Hindus, Justice Khan and Justice Agarwal said, while the third judge Justice Dharam Veer Sharma ruled that ‘the disputed site was the birth place of Lord Ram and that the disputed building constructed during the rule of Mughal emperor Babur was built against the tenets of Islam and did not have the character of the mosque’.

Deviating from the views of the other two judges, Justice Dharam Veer Sharma ruled that the disputed structure was constructed on the site of the old structure after demolition it. He added, "The Archaeological Survey of India has proved that the structure was a massive Hindu religious structure". According to Justice Sharma, the idols were placed in the middle dome of the disputed structure in the intervening night of December 22 and 23, 1949.

Justice Sharma also said, "It is established that the property in suit is the site of Janambhoomi of Ram Chandra Ji and Hindus in general had the right to worship 'Charan', 'Sita Rasoi', other idols and other object of worship existed upon the property in suit." He also said that it is established that Hindus have been worshipping the place in dispute as Janamsthan, i.e., a birth place as deity, and devotees were visiting it as a sacred place of pilgrimage from times immemorial.

Justice Sibghat Ullah Khan said, "All the three sets of parties, i.e. Muslims, Hindus and Nirmohi Akhara are declared joint title holders of the property/premises in dispute as described by letters A B C D E F in the map Plan-I prepared by Shri Shiv Shankar Lal, Pleader/Commissioner appointed by court in Suit No. 1 to the extent of 1/3rd share each for using and managing the same for worshipping. A preliminary decree to this effect is passed." However, Justice Khan observed that it is further declared that the portion below the central dome where at present the idol is kept in makeshift temple will be allotted to Hindus in final decree.

Further Justice Khan observed that the disputed structure was constructed as a mosque by or under the orders of Babar but it is not proved by direct evidence that the premises in dispute including constructed portion belonged to Babar or the person who built it.

Justice Khan also observed that no temple was demolished for constructing the mosque as it was built over the ruins of a temple which was lying there for a very long time.

In his findings on issues, Justice Agarwal said the parties of the Muslim side have failed to prove that the property in dispute was constructed by Babar in 1528 AD.

(With inputs from various news reports)

Monday, September 27, 2010

CWG Theme Song - Official Music Video by A R Rahman

AR Rahman: Commonwealth Games Theme Song


The official anthem for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Delhi, India going to be held between October 3 October and 14 October 2010, was composed by A. R. Rahman, who is speaking on the song in the video above. The song was released on August 28 for digital download. The title of the song, Jiyo Utho Bado Jeeto (aka Oh Yaro Ye India Bula Liya), is based on the motto of the games, ‘Come out and Play’.

The song was first performed by Rahman at the song release function held in Gurgaon, Haryana on August 28, 2010. A shorter tweaked version of the song was released on 23 September.

For the song A. R. Rahman quoted Indian Rupees (Rs) 15 crores as remuneration, and the deal was finalized at Rs 5.5 crore, according to reports that appeared in the news channels.

The lyric of the song, penned by Mehboob, is in Hindi with a mix of a few English words. The song release was preceded by a promotional event held at Delhi. Rahman unveiled the title of the song and sang the initial lines, ‘Oh Yaro Ye India Bula Liya’. As you can understand from the video above, when a reporter asked about the song’s comparison to the style of Waka Waka (This Time for Africa), the theme song for 2010 FIFA World Cup, Rahman said, it would surpass Waka Waka. At the official release of the song on August 28, 2010, Rahman performed the song live.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Minor earthquake in Delhi

It was about a minute ago that I felt that my chair and table were being rocked by someone! I had the doubt that there it could be a minor quake! I just pulled back my legs from the footrest of my computer table to see if I was rocking myself. I felt the rocking again. Then I watched the telephone wire that was hanging near my computer. It was also swinging and swaying. Well, it was a quake, but a minor one.