Samsung Launches New Dual SIM Phones

Samsung has announced the launch of three new Dual SIM phones in India. The new devices include the Samsung Star Duos GT-B7722, the Guru Dual 25 and Guru Dual 26.

Let's take a look at these devices in detail.

We start with the GT-B7722 Duos. This handset is touted to be the first 3G + 2G Dual-Standby touchscreen phone on the planet! This GSM + GSM handset features support for Active Sync, Microsoft Office files and even has a PDF reader - making it a decent entry level office phone. It also has a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with an LED flash. Connectivity options include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and USB. It also has 250MB of internal memory. It is priced at Rs. 12,300.

Next, we have the Samsung Guru Dual 25 (GT- E1225) and Samsung Guru Dual 26 (GT -E 1252). These are entry level dual SIM phones designed to compete with the players in the low cost field dominated by the likes of Micromax, G'Five and so on. The Dual 25 is the cheaper of the two and boasts of features like stereo FM, Torch, support for nine regional languages and a 1000 contacts phonebook. Only one SIM can be active at a time on the Guru Dual 25. It has a smallish 1.8-inch display and has an 800mAH battery. It also has a 3.5 mm jack for audio.

Its elder brother Guru Dual 26 comes with a larger 2-inch display and also has a larger battery - rated at 1000mAH.

Prices:

• Samsung Guru Dual 25 -       Rs. 2,020
• Samsung Guru Dual 26 -       Rs. 2,240
• Samsung GT-B7722 Duos - Rs. 12,300

Samsung has also promised that it would introduce new dual SIM handsets in the country in the months to come. Samsung currently sells 10 dual SIM models in India.

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Posted in: Mobile,TECHNOLOGY

Samsung Launches New Dual SIM Phones

Samsung has announced the launch of three new Dual SIM phones in India. The new devices include the Samsung Star Duos GT-B7722, the Guru Dual 25 and Guru Dual 26.

Let's take a look at these devices in detail.

We start with the GT-B7722 Duos. This handset is touted to be the first 3G + 2G Dual-Standby touchscreen phone on the planet! This GSM + GSM handset features support for Active Sync, Microsoft Office files and even has a PDF reader - making it a decent entry level office phone. It also has a 5 megapixel autofocus camera with an LED flash. Connectivity options include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and USB. It also has 250MB of internal memory. It is priced at Rs. 12,300.

Next, we have the Samsung Guru Dual 25 (GT- E1225) and Samsung Guru Dual 26 (GT -E 1252). These are entry level dual SIM phones designed to compete with the players in the low cost field dominated by the likes of Micromax, G'Five and so on. The Dual 25 is the cheaper of the two and boasts of features like stereo FM, Torch, support for nine regional languages and a 1000 contacts phonebook. Only one SIM can be active at a time on the Guru Dual 25. It has a smallish 1.8-inch display and has an 800mAH battery. It also has a 3.5 mm jack for audio.

Its elder brother Guru Dual 26 comes with a larger 2-inch display and also has a larger battery - rated at 1000mAH.

Prices:

• Samsung Guru Dual 25 -       Rs. 2,020
• Samsung Guru Dual 26 -       Rs. 2,240
• Samsung GT-B7722 Duos - Rs. 12,300

Samsung has also promised that it would introduce new dual SIM handsets in the country in the months to come. Samsung currently sells 10 dual SIM models in India.

Read more »

Posted in: Mobile,TECHNOLOGY

Android Now Ties iPhone In Consumer Interest

One year ago, if you told an average person you were thinking about buying an Android, they'd have thought you were some sort of robot-mongering madman.
My, how times have changed.
Since the debut of the first Android handset in 2008, we've seen Google's mobile operating system grow in leaps and bounds. Initially catapulted by the high-profile marketing push surrounding the Motorola Droid, Android sales have been on a nonstop rocket ride upward. Smartphone users are now snatching up more Android phones than iPhones -- despite what certain turtleneck-loving CEOs may imply -- and the ratio shifts further in Android's favor with practically every passing month.
Now, a new report finds Android has essentially matched the iPhone when it comes to overall consumer interest. If recent trends are any indication, it won't be long before Apple's prized product is eating Google's dust.

Android's Growing Interest

The Android-iPhone study, conducted by independent research firm ChangeWave, looks at the mindsets of smartphone consumers planning to purchase new devices within the next 90 days. ChangeWave interviewed 4,000 people for the report.
Click to ZoomAccording to the company's data (chart available here), 37 percent of prospective phone buyers want an Android in their pockets. That's up 7 percent from the firm's previous study in June and, as ChangeWave VP of Research Paul Carton puts it, represents "a six-fold increase in consumer preference for the Google OS" over the past year.
Thirty-eight percent of smartphone shoppers, meanwhile, currently have the iPhone in their sights. That's down 12 percent from Apple's level in June. You could write off the drop as being a result of the fading hype from the release of the iPhone 4, but the shift is nothing new. We saw the same sort of changes back in January, and the vast majority of analyses over the past year have indicated similar movements as well.
(As for other smartphone platforms, RIM has remained relatively stable -- the BlackBerry Torch, not surprisingly, doesn't seem to be doing much to drum up consumer interest -- and Windows Mobile is maintaining its position as a mere blip on the radar. Time will tell if the new Windows Phone 7 will give Microsoft any significant traction.)

Android and the Smartphone Shift

So what's driving the change? It's simple: Android's open approach equals choice. Choice means more products and more opportunities to find something that fits your needs. The more options and the more opportunities there are, the more customers a platform is going to attract. (And no, despite the occasional surge of headlines to the contrary, an open model does not mean a doomsday-like scenario of malicious apps and unprecedented attacks.)
We could argue endlessly about the merits of one platform over the other. Ultimately, though, a smartphone is a personal thing -- and finding a phone that strikes your fancy comes down to your own personal preference. There is no absolute right or wrong answer.
That said, the iPhone offers a single setup: one phone, one form, one largely unchangeable software experience. If you like that setup, you've found the phone for you. But if you prefer anything different -- be it a larger display, a physical keyboard, or a home screen with anything beyond neatly aligned static icons -- you aren't going to find it in Apple's garden.
On the other side of the spectrum, you have Android. Some Android phones are great. Others...not so much. But taking into account both hardware and software, there's no shortage of options. And within those options, there's no shortage of diversely attractive possibilities.
Apple's iPhone will undoubtedly have a dedicated group of followers for many years to come. And Apple will likely have no trouble turning a handsome profit from its mobile portfolio. But as the number of Android-based options continues to expand, so too will Android's grasp on the mobile market.
You don't have to be a robot-mongering madman to see the logic in that.

Read more »

Posted in: TECHNOLOGY

Android Now Ties iPhone In Consumer Interest

One year ago, if you told an average person you were thinking about buying an Android, they'd have thought you were some sort of robot-mongering madman.
My, how times have changed.
Since the debut of the first Android handset in 2008, we've seen Google's mobile operating system grow in leaps and bounds. Initially catapulted by the high-profile marketing push surrounding the Motorola Droid, Android sales have been on a nonstop rocket ride upward. Smartphone users are now snatching up more Android phones than iPhones -- despite what certain turtleneck-loving CEOs may imply -- and the ratio shifts further in Android's favor with practically every passing month.
Now, a new report finds Android has essentially matched the iPhone when it comes to overall consumer interest. If recent trends are any indication, it won't be long before Apple's prized product is eating Google's dust.

Android's Growing Interest

The Android-iPhone study, conducted by independent research firm ChangeWave, looks at the mindsets of smartphone consumers planning to purchase new devices within the next 90 days. ChangeWave interviewed 4,000 people for the report.
Click to ZoomAccording to the company's data (chart available here), 37 percent of prospective phone buyers want an Android in their pockets. That's up 7 percent from the firm's previous study in June and, as ChangeWave VP of Research Paul Carton puts it, represents "a six-fold increase in consumer preference for the Google OS" over the past year.
Thirty-eight percent of smartphone shoppers, meanwhile, currently have the iPhone in their sights. That's down 12 percent from Apple's level in June. You could write off the drop as being a result of the fading hype from the release of the iPhone 4, but the shift is nothing new. We saw the same sort of changes back in January, and the vast majority of analyses over the past year have indicated similar movements as well.
(As for other smartphone platforms, RIM has remained relatively stable -- the BlackBerry Torch, not surprisingly, doesn't seem to be doing much to drum up consumer interest -- and Windows Mobile is maintaining its position as a mere blip on the radar. Time will tell if the new Windows Phone 7 will give Microsoft any significant traction.)

Android and the Smartphone Shift

So what's driving the change? It's simple: Android's open approach equals choice. Choice means more products and more opportunities to find something that fits your needs. The more options and the more opportunities there are, the more customers a platform is going to attract. (And no, despite the occasional surge of headlines to the contrary, an open model does not mean a doomsday-like scenario of malicious apps and unprecedented attacks.)
We could argue endlessly about the merits of one platform over the other. Ultimately, though, a smartphone is a personal thing -- and finding a phone that strikes your fancy comes down to your own personal preference. There is no absolute right or wrong answer.
That said, the iPhone offers a single setup: one phone, one form, one largely unchangeable software experience. If you like that setup, you've found the phone for you. But if you prefer anything different -- be it a larger display, a physical keyboard, or a home screen with anything beyond neatly aligned static icons -- you aren't going to find it in Apple's garden.
On the other side of the spectrum, you have Android. Some Android phones are great. Others...not so much. But taking into account both hardware and software, there's no shortage of options. And within those options, there's no shortage of diversely attractive possibilities.
Apple's iPhone will undoubtedly have a dedicated group of followers for many years to come. And Apple will likely have no trouble turning a handsome profit from its mobile portfolio. But as the number of Android-based options continues to expand, so too will Android's grasp on the mobile market.
You don't have to be a robot-mongering madman to see the logic in that.

Read more »

Posted in: TECHNOLOGY

New Planet: Another Earth discovered by scientists?

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Posted in: TECHNOLOGY

New Planet: Another Earth discovered by scientists?

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Posted in: TECHNOLOGY

Ayodhya verdict: Both sides to move SC

Sunni Waqf Board counsel Zafaryab Jilani on Thursday termed the Allahabad High Court verdict on the Ayodhya title suits as “disappointing” and said they would move the Supreme Court against the order.
“We have three months, we will certainly move the Supreme Court,” Jilani told reporters. He said the verdict was “against the settled principles of law and evidence adduced by the Muslim side”.
The court dismissed the Waqf Board’s claim by a 2-1 majority.
“We are of the firm view that no public resentment is required as the matter can be taken to the Supreme Court and there is no reason for any loss of hope in favour of the mosque,” Jilani said, adding the majority decision to give Muslims one-third land was not acceptable to the Waqf Board.
He said they would examine the text of the judgment in detail and discuss the matter with the All India Muslim Personal law Board and the Babri Masjid Action Committee.

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Posted in: Ayodhya,INDIA news,National News

Ayodhya verdict: Both sides to move SC

Sunni Waqf Board counsel Zafaryab Jilani on Thursday termed the Allahabad High Court verdict on the Ayodhya title suits as “disappointing” and said they would move the Supreme Court against the order.
“We have three months, we will certainly move the Supreme Court,” Jilani told reporters. He said the verdict was “against the settled principles of law and evidence adduced by the Muslim side”.
The court dismissed the Waqf Board’s claim by a 2-1 majority.
“We are of the firm view that no public resentment is required as the matter can be taken to the Supreme Court and there is no reason for any loss of hope in favour of the mosque,” Jilani said, adding the majority decision to give Muslims one-third land was not acceptable to the Waqf Board.
He said they would examine the text of the judgment in detail and discuss the matter with the All India Muslim Personal law Board and the Babri Masjid Action Committee.

Read more »

Posted in: Ayodhya,INDIA news,National News

Federation to keep Babri mosque land: India court

LUCKNOW: Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court dismissed appeal of `Sunni Waqf Board` by 2-1 majority in the Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid case today, our sources reported Thursday.

The land will be divided into three parts, one-third portion will go to Hindus, another one-third to Muslims and the last one-third to the other, until then, the land will remain in the custody of the federal government.

The court said in its verdict the issue between the Hindus and Muslims should be resolved through negotiations between the two sides.

According to Indian media, the judges who gave the verdict tendered the resignation.

The controversial land of Babri Masjid will remain in possession of the federation, as the case of Sunni Board has been dismissed, according to media reports.

Hundreds of journalists from across the country converged at the District Magistrate`s office in Qaiserbagh area here to report on the verdict in the decades old Ramjanmabhoomi- Babri Masjid title suit.

Elaborate arrangements have been put in place and a special `pandal` that can accommodate 500 journalists and camerapersons has been erected right opposite the court premises.

Multi-layered security apparatus has been activated around the High Court premises where entry of persons has been restricted. Barricades have been put up on roads leading to the High Court.

Several shops and business establishments, which were open earlier in the day, downed their shutters as the time of the verdict advanced.

Inside the court premises, the passage leading to Court No. 21, where the verdict in the six-decade-old case was pronounced, has been cordoned off and entry has been allowed only to the parties to the dispute and their lawyers.

Heavy presence of police personnel was seen on the way near Court Nos. 18, 19 and 20 and the special Ramjanmabhoomi- Babri Masjid section near Court No. 21.

Bomb disposal squads and sniffer dogs made rounds of the Court No 21 before Justices D V Sharma, Sudhir Agarwal and S U Khan pronounced the verdict.

There was a large police presence in the DM office but journalists seemed to outnumber them as scribes armed with laptops and microphones were seen milling around the area waiting for the verdict.

Police were allowing entry to journalists inside the premises through a small gate at the rear side of the DM Office compound after checking the identity cards.

The destruction of the Babri Mosque at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, in 1992, demonstrated the power of religious fundamentalism in India, which prides itself on its democracy and religious tolerance.

Then, 150,000 Kar Sevaks, or volunteers, followed LK Advani and other leaders of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party to Ayodhya, where they destroyed the Babri Mosque and electrified Indian politics for the two decades which followed.

In the immediate aftermath, riots claimed more than 2,000 lives in cities throughout India. In Mumbai, terrorists killed more than 250 people in a series of bombings believed to have been in retaliation for Muslim deaths in the post-Ayodhya riots.

Riots flared again in Gujarat in 2002 after Muslims burned alive 59 Hindus they believed were returning from desecrating the mosque at Ayodhya. More than a thousand people were killed in riots throughout the state.

The dispute dates back to 1853, more than 300 years after the mosque was built by one of Emperor Babur`s generals following their defeat of a local Hindu king.

According to Hindu campaigners, Lord Rama, one of their most revered deities, was born on the site, and an 11th Century Ram temple stood there until it was destroyed by troops loyal to Babur, the Muslim conqueror and India`s first Mughal emperor. The general, Mir Baqi, named the mosque in his emperor`s honour, but it became more commonly known as `Masjid -i-Janmasthan` – Mosque of the Birthplace – in acknowledgement of Rama`s birth there.

Since the first Hindu-Muslim clash was recorded over the issue in 1853, there have been intermittent protests and petitions by each side to establish their claim to the site.

The case which was decided at Allahabad High Court today was launched in 1992 and sought to determine the rightful title owner of the plot, whether the site was the birthplace of Lord Rama, and whether the mosque was built on the site of an ancient Hindu temple.

End.

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Posted in: Ayodhya,INDIA news,National News

Federation to keep Babri mosque land: India court

LUCKNOW: Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court dismissed appeal of `Sunni Waqf Board` by 2-1 majority in the Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid case today, our sources reported Thursday.

The land will be divided into three parts, one-third portion will go to Hindus, another one-third to Muslims and the last one-third to the other, until then, the land will remain in the custody of the federal government.

The court said in its verdict the issue between the Hindus and Muslims should be resolved through negotiations between the two sides.

According to Indian media, the judges who gave the verdict tendered the resignation.

The controversial land of Babri Masjid will remain in possession of the federation, as the case of Sunni Board has been dismissed, according to media reports.

Hundreds of journalists from across the country converged at the District Magistrate`s office in Qaiserbagh area here to report on the verdict in the decades old Ramjanmabhoomi- Babri Masjid title suit.

Elaborate arrangements have been put in place and a special `pandal` that can accommodate 500 journalists and camerapersons has been erected right opposite the court premises.

Multi-layered security apparatus has been activated around the High Court premises where entry of persons has been restricted. Barricades have been put up on roads leading to the High Court.

Several shops and business establishments, which were open earlier in the day, downed their shutters as the time of the verdict advanced.

Inside the court premises, the passage leading to Court No. 21, where the verdict in the six-decade-old case was pronounced, has been cordoned off and entry has been allowed only to the parties to the dispute and their lawyers.

Heavy presence of police personnel was seen on the way near Court Nos. 18, 19 and 20 and the special Ramjanmabhoomi- Babri Masjid section near Court No. 21.

Bomb disposal squads and sniffer dogs made rounds of the Court No 21 before Justices D V Sharma, Sudhir Agarwal and S U Khan pronounced the verdict.

There was a large police presence in the DM office but journalists seemed to outnumber them as scribes armed with laptops and microphones were seen milling around the area waiting for the verdict.

Police were allowing entry to journalists inside the premises through a small gate at the rear side of the DM Office compound after checking the identity cards.

The destruction of the Babri Mosque at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, in 1992, demonstrated the power of religious fundamentalism in India, which prides itself on its democracy and religious tolerance.

Then, 150,000 Kar Sevaks, or volunteers, followed LK Advani and other leaders of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party to Ayodhya, where they destroyed the Babri Mosque and electrified Indian politics for the two decades which followed.

In the immediate aftermath, riots claimed more than 2,000 lives in cities throughout India. In Mumbai, terrorists killed more than 250 people in a series of bombings believed to have been in retaliation for Muslim deaths in the post-Ayodhya riots.

Riots flared again in Gujarat in 2002 after Muslims burned alive 59 Hindus they believed were returning from desecrating the mosque at Ayodhya. More than a thousand people were killed in riots throughout the state.

The dispute dates back to 1853, more than 300 years after the mosque was built by one of Emperor Babur`s generals following their defeat of a local Hindu king.

According to Hindu campaigners, Lord Rama, one of their most revered deities, was born on the site, and an 11th Century Ram temple stood there until it was destroyed by troops loyal to Babur, the Muslim conqueror and India`s first Mughal emperor. The general, Mir Baqi, named the mosque in his emperor`s honour, but it became more commonly known as `Masjid -i-Janmasthan` – Mosque of the Birthplace – in acknowledgement of Rama`s birth there.

Since the first Hindu-Muslim clash was recorded over the issue in 1853, there have been intermittent protests and petitions by each side to establish their claim to the site.

The case which was decided at Allahabad High Court today was launched in 1992 and sought to determine the rightful title owner of the plot, whether the site was the birthplace of Lord Rama, and whether the mosque was built on the site of an ancient Hindu temple.

End.

Read more »

Posted in: Ayodhya,INDIA news,National News

Tech Mahindra sees merger intent out in 2-3 weeks

"(The merger) does take time with the high court approval and the SEBI approval and various things," said L. Ravichandran, president of IT services at Tech Mahindra, referring to the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India.
"So it could take some time," he said at the Reuters India Investment Summit in Bangalore on Wednesday.
Tech Mahindra, which acquired Mahindra Satyam in April last year and is operating it as a separate unit, has said it can only merge the fraud-hit firm into the parent after the restated results of Satyam are announced.
Mahindra Satyam, which has not reported results beyond the September quarter in 2008, is scheduled to report its restated results on Wednesday.

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Posted in: HYD Flashnews,National News

Tech Mahindra sees merger intent out in 2-3 weeks

"(The merger) does take time with the high court approval and the SEBI approval and various things," said L. Ravichandran, president of IT services at Tech Mahindra, referring to the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India.
"So it could take some time," he said at the Reuters India Investment Summit in Bangalore on Wednesday.
Tech Mahindra, which acquired Mahindra Satyam in April last year and is operating it as a separate unit, has said it can only merge the fraud-hit firm into the parent after the restated results of Satyam are announced.
Mahindra Satyam, which has not reported results beyond the September quarter in 2008, is scheduled to report its restated results on Wednesday.

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Posted in: HYD Flashnews,National News

Pakistan Soldiers Dead, Army Blames Helicopters

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Posted in: International

Pakistan Soldiers Dead, Army Blames Helicopters

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Posted in: International

Accept the judgment: Sonia

Even as the government geared itself to face any eventuality that might arise in the wake of Thursday' verdict on the Ayodhya title suits, Congress president Sonia Gandhi made an appeal to people to accept the judgment — whatever it be — and to maintain the peace, goodwill and brotherhood at all costs. “Accept whatever it is for, a liberal approach is our great tradition.”

“We all know that the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court is due to deliver a judgment on a sensitive issue,” Ms. Gandhi said in a written appeal on Wednesday, pointing out that almost everyone in the country, reposing faith in the judiciary's impartiality, had expressed willingness to accept the judgment.

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Posted in: INDIA news,National News

Accept the judgment: Sonia

Even as the government geared itself to face any eventuality that might arise in the wake of Thursday' verdict on the Ayodhya title suits, Congress president Sonia Gandhi made an appeal to people to accept the judgment — whatever it be — and to maintain the peace, goodwill and brotherhood at all costs. “Accept whatever it is for, a liberal approach is our great tradition.”

“We all know that the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court is due to deliver a judgment on a sensitive issue,” Ms. Gandhi said in a written appeal on Wednesday, pointing out that almost everyone in the country, reposing faith in the judiciary's impartiality, had expressed willingness to accept the judgment.

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Posted in: INDIA news,National News

Centre extends ban on bulk SMS till October 1

The Centre today extended the ban on all bulk SMS and MMS till Friday in view of the verdict in Ayodhya title suits.

“We have decided to extend the ban by a day in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs in the wake of the Ayodhya verdict, which is to be pronounced today,” a senior DoT official said.

The government is apprehensive that some extreme elements may foment trouble by inciting communal passions during the period and is taking all measures to check any untoward incidents.

“The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has today issued orders in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs to all Mobile Telecom Service Providers in the country that all bulk SMS and all bulk MMS messages shall remain banned in all service areas till September 30,” the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology had said earlier in a statement.

Home Minister P. Chidambaram had recently appealed for peace and caution against rushing to any inappropriate conclusion over the matter.

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Posted in: National News,SPECIAL NEWS

Centre extends ban on bulk SMS till October 1

The Centre today extended the ban on all bulk SMS and MMS till Friday in view of the verdict in Ayodhya title suits.

“We have decided to extend the ban by a day in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs in the wake of the Ayodhya verdict, which is to be pronounced today,” a senior DoT official said.

The government is apprehensive that some extreme elements may foment trouble by inciting communal passions during the period and is taking all measures to check any untoward incidents.

“The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has today issued orders in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs to all Mobile Telecom Service Providers in the country that all bulk SMS and all bulk MMS messages shall remain banned in all service areas till September 30,” the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology had said earlier in a statement.

Home Minister P. Chidambaram had recently appealed for peace and caution against rushing to any inappropriate conclusion over the matter.

Read more »

Posted in: National News,SPECIAL NEWS

125 years after first Babri verdict, it's judgment time again

A special Full Bench of Justices S.U. Khan, Sudhir Agarwal and D.V. Sharma of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court will pronounce its verdict on the Ayodhya title suits on Thursday. The final hearing began on July 23, 1996, and verdict was reserved on July 26 this year.

On one side are a number of Hindu plaintiffs, who claim that the disputed site belongs to them and is the spot where a Ram temple once existed. On the other is the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Wakf Board, which maintains that the site, where the Babri Masjid stood for five centuries before being demolished by mobs on December 6, 1992, is a Muslim place of worship.

The present legal battle over title has gone on for nearly 60 years. On Thursday, the court is expected to rule on that and also perhaps answer several questions framed by itself in the course of the suit. These include whether the disputed site is the birthplace of Lord Ram and whether the Babri Masjid was built after demolishing a temple there. According to the Wakf Board, the Muslims offered prayers at the mosque from 1528, when it was built by Mughal emperor Babur, up to 1949, when the gates were locked by the local administration after some miscreants — with the connivance of officials — surreptitiously placed Ram idols inside the mosque.

The mosque was razed by kar sevaks brought to the site by leaders from various parts of the country. In their submissions, the Hindu plaintiffs said their right to worship the deity of Ram Lalla, or the infant Ram, at the disputed site must be recognised by the court as “millions of Hindus” have for “several centuries” believed it to be the Lord's birthplace. Their lawyers adduced historical accounts by foreign travellers suggesting that not only before 1528, but even thereafter, Hindus have held the place itself in great reverence.

The case timeline

Idols of Rama Lalla were placed surreptitiously in the middle of the floor space under the central dome on December 23, 1949. Soon thereafter, devotees assembled there to worship. On December 29, 1949, the city magistrate exercised control over the whole area.

The first suit was filed on January 16, 1950 by Gopal Simla Visharad in the Faizabad civil court for exclusive rights to perform pooja to Ram Lalla. He sought a restraint order on removal of the idols and a temporary injunction was issued. This order was later confirmed by the civil judge and later by a Division Bench of the Allahabad High Court.

On December 5, 1950, Paramahansa Ramachandra Das also filed a suit for continuation of the pooja and keeping the idols in the Babri structure. This was pending till August 1990, when out of sheer frustration he withdrew the case.

The third suit was filed in 1959 by the Nirmohi Akhara, seeking a direction to hand over charge of the disputed site from the receiver. The fourth suit was filed in 1961 by the U.P. Sunni Central Wakf Board for a declaration and possession. The fifth suit was filed on July 1, 1989 in the name of Bhagwan Shree Ram Lalla Virajman for a declaration and possession.

On February 1, 1986, a district judge ordered the locks on the mosque removed and the site was opened for Hindu worshippers. Two years earlier, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had begun a campaign to “liberate” the so-called birthplace of Lord Rama, and the 1986 decision was widely seen at the time as an attempt by the Congress — then in power at the Centre and in U.P. — to upstage the VHP and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

In 1989, the four suits pending in the Faizabad civil court were transferred to the High Court on an application moved by the U.P. Advocate-General.

On October 10, 1991, the U.P. government acquired the 2.77-acre of land around the disputed structure for the convenience of devotees who attend Ram Lalla darshan. On January 7, 1993, the Government of India, with the consent of Parliament, took over some 67 acres of land all around the disputed area and sought the Supreme Court's opinion on whether there existed a Hindu place of worship before the disputed structure was built. But it declined to answer the question. On October 24, 1994, it turned the case back to the Lucknow Bench of the High Court and the suits were heard again from 1996.

Long legal history

In fact, the first suit was filed in 1885, when the Faizabad Deputy Commissioner refused to let Mahant Raghubar Das build a temple on land adjoining the mosque. Das then filed a title suit in a Faizabad court against the Secretary of State for India, seeking permission to build a temple on the Chabutra on the outer courtyard of the Babri Masjid.

His suit was dismissed on grounds that the alleged demolition of an original Ram temple in 1528 had occurred over 350 years earlier, and so it was “too late now” to remedy the grievance. “Maintain status quo. Any innovation may cause more harm than any benefit,” the court said. This suit was revived in 1950.

In August 2002, the High Court ordered a survey by the Archaeological Survey of India to find out whether a temple existed below the mosque or not.

Read more »

Posted in: INDIA news,National News

125 years after first Babri verdict, it's judgment time again

A special Full Bench of Justices S.U. Khan, Sudhir Agarwal and D.V. Sharma of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court will pronounce its verdict on the Ayodhya title suits on Thursday. The final hearing began on July 23, 1996, and verdict was reserved on July 26 this year.

On one side are a number of Hindu plaintiffs, who claim that the disputed site belongs to them and is the spot where a Ram temple once existed. On the other is the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Wakf Board, which maintains that the site, where the Babri Masjid stood for five centuries before being demolished by mobs on December 6, 1992, is a Muslim place of worship.

The present legal battle over title has gone on for nearly 60 years. On Thursday, the court is expected to rule on that and also perhaps answer several questions framed by itself in the course of the suit. These include whether the disputed site is the birthplace of Lord Ram and whether the Babri Masjid was built after demolishing a temple there. According to the Wakf Board, the Muslims offered prayers at the mosque from 1528, when it was built by Mughal emperor Babur, up to 1949, when the gates were locked by the local administration after some miscreants — with the connivance of officials — surreptitiously placed Ram idols inside the mosque.

The mosque was razed by kar sevaks brought to the site by leaders from various parts of the country. In their submissions, the Hindu plaintiffs said their right to worship the deity of Ram Lalla, or the infant Ram, at the disputed site must be recognised by the court as “millions of Hindus” have for “several centuries” believed it to be the Lord's birthplace. Their lawyers adduced historical accounts by foreign travellers suggesting that not only before 1528, but even thereafter, Hindus have held the place itself in great reverence.

The case timeline

Idols of Rama Lalla were placed surreptitiously in the middle of the floor space under the central dome on December 23, 1949. Soon thereafter, devotees assembled there to worship. On December 29, 1949, the city magistrate exercised control over the whole area.

The first suit was filed on January 16, 1950 by Gopal Simla Visharad in the Faizabad civil court for exclusive rights to perform pooja to Ram Lalla. He sought a restraint order on removal of the idols and a temporary injunction was issued. This order was later confirmed by the civil judge and later by a Division Bench of the Allahabad High Court.

On December 5, 1950, Paramahansa Ramachandra Das also filed a suit for continuation of the pooja and keeping the idols in the Babri structure. This was pending till August 1990, when out of sheer frustration he withdrew the case.

The third suit was filed in 1959 by the Nirmohi Akhara, seeking a direction to hand over charge of the disputed site from the receiver. The fourth suit was filed in 1961 by the U.P. Sunni Central Wakf Board for a declaration and possession. The fifth suit was filed on July 1, 1989 in the name of Bhagwan Shree Ram Lalla Virajman for a declaration and possession.

On February 1, 1986, a district judge ordered the locks on the mosque removed and the site was opened for Hindu worshippers. Two years earlier, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had begun a campaign to “liberate” the so-called birthplace of Lord Rama, and the 1986 decision was widely seen at the time as an attempt by the Congress — then in power at the Centre and in U.P. — to upstage the VHP and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

In 1989, the four suits pending in the Faizabad civil court were transferred to the High Court on an application moved by the U.P. Advocate-General.

On October 10, 1991, the U.P. government acquired the 2.77-acre of land around the disputed structure for the convenience of devotees who attend Ram Lalla darshan. On January 7, 1993, the Government of India, with the consent of Parliament, took over some 67 acres of land all around the disputed area and sought the Supreme Court's opinion on whether there existed a Hindu place of worship before the disputed structure was built. But it declined to answer the question. On October 24, 1994, it turned the case back to the Lucknow Bench of the High Court and the suits were heard again from 1996.

Long legal history

In fact, the first suit was filed in 1885, when the Faizabad Deputy Commissioner refused to let Mahant Raghubar Das build a temple on land adjoining the mosque. Das then filed a title suit in a Faizabad court against the Secretary of State for India, seeking permission to build a temple on the Chabutra on the outer courtyard of the Babri Masjid.

His suit was dismissed on grounds that the alleged demolition of an original Ram temple in 1528 had occurred over 350 years earlier, and so it was “too late now” to remedy the grievance. “Maintain status quo. Any innovation may cause more harm than any benefit,” the court said. This suit was revived in 1950.

In August 2002, the High Court ordered a survey by the Archaeological Survey of India to find out whether a temple existed below the mosque or not.

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Posted in: INDIA news,National News

Kerala beefs up security ahead of Ayodhya verdict

Security has been stepped up throughout Kerala as a precautionary measure against the background of the verdict on the Ayodhya case slated for Thursday.

Restrictions on organising of marches, meetings and demonstrations are likely to be declared in other districts also later in the day. The ban orders have been declared in Kasaragod, Kannur, Malappuram, Alappuzha and Kollam districts from midnight on Wednesday. Ban orders came into force in Ernakulam district from this morning.

About 30,000 police men are proposed to be deployed by midnight to enforce the orders and maintain peace. Preventive arrests are also likely. Special security is being extended to important places of worship, railway stations and bus stands. Armed reserves have been positioned in district centres.

Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has convened a meeting of higher officials of the Home Department and the Police this morning to review the situation and decide on further security arrangements. Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Director General of Police and additional directors general of police are to attend.

Forces deployed

Three companies of Armed Force Battalion have been deployed in Aluva, Kochi city and Alapuzha ahead of the Ayodhya verdict on Thursday.

T. Vikram, Superintendent of Police (Ernakulam Rural), told The Hindu on Wednesday morning that the battalions will keep a vigil against any untoward incident in view of the judgement. He said that the police have requested the District Collector to issue prohibitory orders against unlawful assembly and meetings in the district till October 3.

Mr. Vikram said that special intelligence teams have been deployed in all sensitive regions. He said that patrolling will be carried out in all such areas from tonight. Police pickets will be set up at several places as part of the heightened vigil in communally sensitive regions.

Mobile patrol

Mobile patrolling will also be strengthened across the district. Mr. Vikram said that local-level meetings to ensure peace and law and order will be held today. The police will monitor the situation on an hourly basis from tonight, he said.

Police are also keeping a close watch on the activities of the religious bodies in the run-up to the judgement.

Security beefed up in Kannur

Security and law and order enforcement arrangements in the district have been beefed up in view of the Allahabad High Court’s scheduled pronouncement of verdict in the Ayodhya case on September 30.

District Collector V.K. Balakrishnan clamped 24-hour prohibitory orders in the district beginning from 8 a.m. on September 30 as a precaution to avert any trouble in the wake of the court judgement.

Under the prohibitory orders, processions and marches, slogan shouting and meetings were banned. Three companies of armed police personnel had already been deployed in the district as part of strengthening the law and order measures against the backdrop of the scheduled pronouncement of the verdict.

Police officers here said that the armed police personnel were deployed in addition to local police personnel. One company of armed police would be kept in reserve under the Inspector General of Police (Kannur Range) Sudhesh Kumar. Police patrolling would be intensified in areas identified as sensitive, they said adding that the police would carry out inspections in the railway station, bus terminal and lodges.

The police officers met in the morning to review the security arrangements launched in the district. Separate meetings of religious and political leaders chaired by the Collector last week had called on the public to remain calm whatever the verdict of the court. The meetings also urged the people not to take out jubilant or protest marches after the verdict was pronounced.

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Posted in: INDIA news,KERALA NEWS

Kerala beefs up security ahead of Ayodhya verdict

Security has been stepped up throughout Kerala as a precautionary measure against the background of the verdict on the Ayodhya case slated for Thursday.

Restrictions on organising of marches, meetings and demonstrations are likely to be declared in other districts also later in the day. The ban orders have been declared in Kasaragod, Kannur, Malappuram, Alappuzha and Kollam districts from midnight on Wednesday. Ban orders came into force in Ernakulam district from this morning.

About 30,000 police men are proposed to be deployed by midnight to enforce the orders and maintain peace. Preventive arrests are also likely. Special security is being extended to important places of worship, railway stations and bus stands. Armed reserves have been positioned in district centres.

Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has convened a meeting of higher officials of the Home Department and the Police this morning to review the situation and decide on further security arrangements. Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Director General of Police and additional directors general of police are to attend.

Forces deployed

Three companies of Armed Force Battalion have been deployed in Aluva, Kochi city and Alapuzha ahead of the Ayodhya verdict on Thursday.

T. Vikram, Superintendent of Police (Ernakulam Rural), told The Hindu on Wednesday morning that the battalions will keep a vigil against any untoward incident in view of the judgement. He said that the police have requested the District Collector to issue prohibitory orders against unlawful assembly and meetings in the district till October 3.

Mr. Vikram said that special intelligence teams have been deployed in all sensitive regions. He said that patrolling will be carried out in all such areas from tonight. Police pickets will be set up at several places as part of the heightened vigil in communally sensitive regions.

Mobile patrol

Mobile patrolling will also be strengthened across the district. Mr. Vikram said that local-level meetings to ensure peace and law and order will be held today. The police will monitor the situation on an hourly basis from tonight, he said.

Police are also keeping a close watch on the activities of the religious bodies in the run-up to the judgement.

Security beefed up in Kannur

Security and law and order enforcement arrangements in the district have been beefed up in view of the Allahabad High Court’s scheduled pronouncement of verdict in the Ayodhya case on September 30.

District Collector V.K. Balakrishnan clamped 24-hour prohibitory orders in the district beginning from 8 a.m. on September 30 as a precaution to avert any trouble in the wake of the court judgement.

Under the prohibitory orders, processions and marches, slogan shouting and meetings were banned. Three companies of armed police personnel had already been deployed in the district as part of strengthening the law and order measures against the backdrop of the scheduled pronouncement of the verdict.

Police officers here said that the armed police personnel were deployed in addition to local police personnel. One company of armed police would be kept in reserve under the Inspector General of Police (Kannur Range) Sudhesh Kumar. Police patrolling would be intensified in areas identified as sensitive, they said adding that the police would carry out inspections in the railway station, bus terminal and lodges.

The police officers met in the morning to review the security arrangements launched in the district. Separate meetings of religious and political leaders chaired by the Collector last week had called on the public to remain calm whatever the verdict of the court. The meetings also urged the people not to take out jubilant or protest marches after the verdict was pronounced.

Read more »

Posted in: INDIA news,KERALA NEWS

Babri: Constitution disregarded

The destruction of the was a serious crime under Sec 295, IPC. The destruction violated the Constitution as it denied to every Muslim or a section thereof, the freedom of religion guaranteed to them by Articles 25 and 26 of our Constitution. The destruction of the masjid put an end to all previous controversies raised by Hindu organisations about their alleged right to erect a temple on the place where the masjid stood. This is because no court will give any assistance to those who unilaterally by criminal acts destroyed the subject matter of the dispute and violated the Constitution and the law.

After December 6, 1992, the earlier controversies were replaced by one question: What was the duty of the central government once the Babri Masjid had been destroyed by the unconstitutional acts of a fanatical Hindu mob? To this, there can be only one answer: the Babri Masjid must be rebuilt, and Prime Minister (P V Narasimha Rao) gave that answer on December 7, 1992, when he said that he considered it his duty to rebuild the Babri Masjid.

Far from the Prime Minister and his Cabinet discharging their duty to rebuild the Babri Masjid by taking valid legal steps to make such rebuilding possible, they have sidetracked the real question, thereby evading their clear duty. On January 7, 1993, the President promulgated The Acquisition of Certain Areas of Ordinance, 1993.

Also, on January 7, 1993, the President , acting under Article 143(1), referred the following question for the advisory opinion of the Supreme Court: “Whether a Hindu temple or any Hindu religious structure existed prior to the construction of the Ramjanmabhumi-Babri Masjid (including the premises of the inner and outer courtyards of such structure) in the areas on which the structure stood?” Some of the recitals to the Ordinance state that the lands at Ayodhya were being acquired to maintain publicorderandtopromotecommunalharmony and common brotherhood amongst the people of . The Ordinance and President’s reference are interconnected, for recital 5 to the reference states that notwithstanding the vesting of the area acquired in the central government, the Centre “proposestosettlethesaiddisputeafterobtaining the opinion of the and in terms of the said opinion” .

The Ordinance and the President’s reference cannot possibly achieve the objectives set out in those measures. First, it is well settled that an advisory opinion binds nobody, not even the Supreme Court. Secondly, no court, much less the Supreme Court, would answer a question which required the court to carry out research not only in 500 years of history and archaeology but also in myths and legends contained in epic poems and in folk lore. Further, under Article 143(1), the Supreme Court may give its opinion but is not bound to do so. If, as is almost certain, the Supreme Court declines to give its opinion, the Ordinance and the reference cannot achieve the central government’s objective ofsettlingthedisputeinthelightofthatopinion . Further, the central government cannot settle the Babri Masjid dispute. It can be settled only in one of three ways:

By the parties to it setting out their respective cases for the decision of a competent court, and the Supreme Court is not a competent court of original jurisdiction for this purpose. Secondly, the parties can agree to the dispute being settled by arbitration. And, thirdly, the parties can settle the dispute on thetermsagreeduponbetweenthemselves. Therefore, the Ordinance and reference cannot resolve the Babri Masjid dispute.

The Ordinance is void because it violates the fundamental rights of Muslims and Muslim denominations to the freedom of religion conferred on them by Articles 25 and 26. Clause 3 of the Ordinance vests the area acquired in Ayodhya in the central government . Clause 4(1), inter alia, vests all movable and immovable property in the acquired area in the central government. Clause 4(2), inter alia, extinguishes all trusts on which such property is held. Also, all restrictionsimposedontheuseofsuchproperty by any court, tribunal or other authority would cease to have effect.

Clause 4(3) puts an end to all pending suits, appeals or other proceedings in relation to the properties vested in the central government. Clause 9 states that the provisions of the Ordinance states that the provisions of the Ordinance shall have effect notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith in any other law or in any decree or order of any court, tribunal or other authority.

But the provisions of the Ordinance cannot override the provisions of our Constitution . The SC has held in cases too numerous to mention that any law which extinguishes a religious trust or removes the trustees or managers of properties movable and immovable belonging to a religious trust is void, as violating Articles 25 and 26.

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Posted in: Ayodhya,INDIA news,National News

Babri: Constitution disregarded

The destruction of the was a serious crime under Sec 295, IPC. The destruction violated the Constitution as it denied to every Muslim or a section thereof, the freedom of religion guaranteed to them by Articles 25 and 26 of our Constitution. The destruction of the masjid put an end to all previous controversies raised by Hindu organisations about their alleged right to erect a temple on the place where the masjid stood. This is because no court will give any assistance to those who unilaterally by criminal acts destroyed the subject matter of the dispute and violated the Constitution and the law.

After December 6, 1992, the earlier controversies were replaced by one question: What was the duty of the central government once the Babri Masjid had been destroyed by the unconstitutional acts of a fanatical Hindu mob? To this, there can be only one answer: the Babri Masjid must be rebuilt, and Prime Minister (P V Narasimha Rao) gave that answer on December 7, 1992, when he said that he considered it his duty to rebuild the Babri Masjid.

Far from the Prime Minister and his Cabinet discharging their duty to rebuild the Babri Masjid by taking valid legal steps to make such rebuilding possible, they have sidetracked the real question, thereby evading their clear duty. On January 7, 1993, the President promulgated The Acquisition of Certain Areas of Ordinance, 1993.

Also, on January 7, 1993, the President , acting under Article 143(1), referred the following question for the advisory opinion of the Supreme Court: “Whether a Hindu temple or any Hindu religious structure existed prior to the construction of the Ramjanmabhumi-Babri Masjid (including the premises of the inner and outer courtyards of such structure) in the areas on which the structure stood?” Some of the recitals to the Ordinance state that the lands at Ayodhya were being acquired to maintain publicorderandtopromotecommunalharmony and common brotherhood amongst the people of . The Ordinance and President’s reference are interconnected, for recital 5 to the reference states that notwithstanding the vesting of the area acquired in the central government, the Centre “proposestosettlethesaiddisputeafterobtaining the opinion of the and in terms of the said opinion” .

The Ordinance and the President’s reference cannot possibly achieve the objectives set out in those measures. First, it is well settled that an advisory opinion binds nobody, not even the Supreme Court. Secondly, no court, much less the Supreme Court, would answer a question which required the court to carry out research not only in 500 years of history and archaeology but also in myths and legends contained in epic poems and in folk lore. Further, under Article 143(1), the Supreme Court may give its opinion but is not bound to do so. If, as is almost certain, the Supreme Court declines to give its opinion, the Ordinance and the reference cannot achieve the central government’s objective ofsettlingthedisputeinthelightofthatopinion . Further, the central government cannot settle the Babri Masjid dispute. It can be settled only in one of three ways:

By the parties to it setting out their respective cases for the decision of a competent court, and the Supreme Court is not a competent court of original jurisdiction for this purpose. Secondly, the parties can agree to the dispute being settled by arbitration. And, thirdly, the parties can settle the dispute on thetermsagreeduponbetweenthemselves. Therefore, the Ordinance and reference cannot resolve the Babri Masjid dispute.

The Ordinance is void because it violates the fundamental rights of Muslims and Muslim denominations to the freedom of religion conferred on them by Articles 25 and 26. Clause 3 of the Ordinance vests the area acquired in Ayodhya in the central government . Clause 4(1), inter alia, vests all movable and immovable property in the acquired area in the central government. Clause 4(2), inter alia, extinguishes all trusts on which such property is held. Also, all restrictionsimposedontheuseofsuchproperty by any court, tribunal or other authority would cease to have effect.

Clause 4(3) puts an end to all pending suits, appeals or other proceedings in relation to the properties vested in the central government. Clause 9 states that the provisions of the Ordinance states that the provisions of the Ordinance shall have effect notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith in any other law or in any decree or order of any court, tribunal or other authority.

But the provisions of the Ordinance cannot override the provisions of our Constitution . The SC has held in cases too numerous to mention that any law which extinguishes a religious trust or removes the trustees or managers of properties movable and immovable belonging to a religious trust is void, as violating Articles 25 and 26.

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Posted in: Ayodhya,INDIA news,National News

Ayodhya verdict: Nearly 3000 troublemakers held in Mumbai

The Mumbai Police has rounded up nearly 3000 troublemakers in the city since last night, taking the total number of preventive arrests in view of the Ayodhya verdict to 7000.
Till yesterday, over 4000 troublemakers were apprehended under preventive measures to avert any eventuality in the aftermath of the Allahabad High Court verdict, police said. "Since last night, nearly 3000 more were picked up. We are leaving no stone unturned to maintain peace and harmony. All those picked up were categorised as troublemakers who may have caused law and order problem after the verdict," Deputy Police Commissioner (Operations) Rajkumar Vhatkar said.
The city had witnessed large-scale riots post-Babri Masjid demolition in 1992.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made here with security personnel equipped with guns, lathis and riot control equipment keeping a strict vigil across the city. Besides city police force, State Reserve Police Force, Rapid Action Force and Riot Control Force will be on the job to control the situation in case of any untoward incident, he said, adding elite forces such as the state's terror response teams Force One and Quick Response Teams have been kept on standby.
Notices have been served to nearly 1200 persons, some of them associated with political parties, under section CrPC 149 warning against indulging in any activity that causes law and order problem in the city. Prohibitory orders were also issued under section 144 of CrPC, putting restrictions on the assembly of people and preventing people from carrying out any activity that hurts religious sentiments of a community, police said.
"One should not do anything such as bursting fire crackers and organising processions in favour or against the judgement," Vhatkar said.

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Posted in: Ayodhya,INDIA news,National News

Ayodhya verdict: Nearly 3000 troublemakers held in Mumbai

The Mumbai Police has rounded up nearly 3000 troublemakers in the city since last night, taking the total number of preventive arrests in view of the Ayodhya verdict to 7000.
Till yesterday, over 4000 troublemakers were apprehended under preventive measures to avert any eventuality in the aftermath of the Allahabad High Court verdict, police said. "Since last night, nearly 3000 more were picked up. We are leaving no stone unturned to maintain peace and harmony. All those picked up were categorised as troublemakers who may have caused law and order problem after the verdict," Deputy Police Commissioner (Operations) Rajkumar Vhatkar said.
The city had witnessed large-scale riots post-Babri Masjid demolition in 1992.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made here with security personnel equipped with guns, lathis and riot control equipment keeping a strict vigil across the city. Besides city police force, State Reserve Police Force, Rapid Action Force and Riot Control Force will be on the job to control the situation in case of any untoward incident, he said, adding elite forces such as the state's terror response teams Force One and Quick Response Teams have been kept on standby.
Notices have been served to nearly 1200 persons, some of them associated with political parties, under section CrPC 149 warning against indulging in any activity that causes law and order problem in the city. Prohibitory orders were also issued under section 144 of CrPC, putting restrictions on the assembly of people and preventing people from carrying out any activity that hurts religious sentiments of a community, police said.
"One should not do anything such as bursting fire crackers and organising processions in favour or against the judgement," Vhatkar said.

Read more »

Posted in: Ayodhya,INDIA news,National News

AYODHYA VERDICT: Disputed site trifurcated, Ram idol to stay

Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has dismissed the petition of the Sunni Waqf Board and said that the disputed site was the birth of Lord Ram and holds immense importance for Hindus.

Bringing to an end the suspense over the 60-year-old Ramjanmbhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit case, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Thursday pronounced its verdict. he 2.7 acre area in Ayodhya has been divided into three parts. One area would go to the Nirmohi Akhara, one to Hindus and third to Muslims’ Waqf Board.

But the three-judge Bench comprising Justice SU Khan, Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice DV Sharma unanimously agreed that the particular area where the idols are installed is the birthplace of Lord Ram and would remain with the Hindus.

This means that the idols will not be removed from the site and the Hindus are free to build a temple there.

The parties have three months to appeal against the verdict.

Today’s judgment came after the last hurdle in its pronouncement was cleared by the Supreme Court Tuesday when it dismissed the petition by a retired bureaucrat Ramesh Chandra Tripathi for deferment of the keenly-awaited verdict.

The Ayodhya dispute, which has been an emotive issue for decades and mired in a slew of legal suits involving Hindu and Muslim religious groups, dates back to the year 1528 when a mosque was built on the site by Mughal emperor Babar, which Hindus claim to be a birth place of Lord Ram and believe to be the spot where a Hindu temple existed since 11th Century.

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Posted in: Ayodhya,INDIA news,National News

AYODHYA VERDICT: Disputed site trifurcated, Ram idol to stay

Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has dismissed the petition of the Sunni Waqf Board and said that the disputed site was the birth of Lord Ram and holds immense importance for Hindus.

Bringing to an end the suspense over the 60-year-old Ramjanmbhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit case, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Thursday pronounced its verdict. he 2.7 acre area in Ayodhya has been divided into three parts. One area would go to the Nirmohi Akhara, one to Hindus and third to Muslims’ Waqf Board.

But the three-judge Bench comprising Justice SU Khan, Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice DV Sharma unanimously agreed that the particular area where the idols are installed is the birthplace of Lord Ram and would remain with the Hindus.

This means that the idols will not be removed from the site and the Hindus are free to build a temple there.

The parties have three months to appeal against the verdict.

Today’s judgment came after the last hurdle in its pronouncement was cleared by the Supreme Court Tuesday when it dismissed the petition by a retired bureaucrat Ramesh Chandra Tripathi for deferment of the keenly-awaited verdict.

The Ayodhya dispute, which has been an emotive issue for decades and mired in a slew of legal suits involving Hindu and Muslim religious groups, dates back to the year 1528 when a mosque was built on the site by Mughal emperor Babar, which Hindus claim to be a birth place of Lord Ram and believe to be the spot where a Hindu temple existed since 11th Century.

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Posted in: Ayodhya,INDIA news,National News

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Ayodhya land to be divided into three parts: HC

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has ordered that the disputed holy site in Ayodhya be divided into three parts: one-third for Hindu Mahasabha, one-third for Sunni Waqf Board and one-third for the Nirmohi Akhara.

The three-member bench of the Allahabad High Court,

comprising justices SU Khan, Sudhir Agarwal and DV Sharma today delivered a split verdict in 60-year old Ayodhya title suit.

The majority ruled that the disputed land in Ayodhya was a joint property, held by all the three claimants namely Hindu Mahasabha , Nirmohi Akhara and Sunni Central Waqf Board. Justice SU Khan said that the mosque was built by Babar, not by demolishing a temple , but on the ruins of a temple.

According to Chief Standing Counsel of the UP Government, Devendra Upadhaya, the two judges namely Justices Khan and Agarwal ruled that the disputed property should be equally divided ( One third each) among the three parties. Justice DV Sharma has been categorical that the land belongs to Hindus and has rejected the claim of the Sunni Waqf Board.

However, the entire bench is of the view that the central dome of the disputed structure goes to Hindu Mahasabha, where the idols were installed in 1949 and again in 1992 after the demolition of the Babri Mosque. The sita rasoi and ram chabootara have been given to Nirmohi Akhara.

The bench has also directed maintenance of status quo for three months and invited suggestions from all the parties for demarcation of the land.

In view of the verdict, the nation has been put on high alert. Uttar Pradesh has turned into a fortress with thousands of paramilitary personnel patrolling the streets.

The intelligence network is on high alert throughout the state to monitor movement and activities of anti-social elements.
Aerial surveys of "sensitive places", including the Ram Janmbhoomi complex in Ayodhya has been done, police sources said.

All the security personnel deployed in Ayodhya and Faizabad have been equipped with tear gas shells and rubber bullets and the gazetted officers of various government departments have been asked to assist in policing. They have also been provided with rubber bullets and tear gas shells.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court paved the way for the Ayodhya verdict to be delivered by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.

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Posted in: Ayodhya,INDIA news

Ayodhya land to be divided into three parts: HC

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has ordered that the disputed holy site in Ayodhya be divided into three parts: one-third for Hindu Mahasabha, one-third for Sunni Waqf Board and one-third for the Nirmohi Akhara.

The three-member bench of the Allahabad High Court,

comprising justices SU Khan, Sudhir Agarwal and DV Sharma today delivered a split verdict in 60-year old Ayodhya title suit.

The majority ruled that the disputed land in Ayodhya was a joint property, held by all the three claimants namely Hindu Mahasabha , Nirmohi Akhara and Sunni Central Waqf Board. Justice SU Khan said that the mosque was built by Babar, not by demolishing a temple , but on the ruins of a temple.

According to Chief Standing Counsel of the UP Government, Devendra Upadhaya, the two judges namely Justices Khan and Agarwal ruled that the disputed property should be equally divided ( One third each) among the three parties. Justice DV Sharma has been categorical that the land belongs to Hindus and has rejected the claim of the Sunni Waqf Board.

However, the entire bench is of the view that the central dome of the disputed structure goes to Hindu Mahasabha, where the idols were installed in 1949 and again in 1992 after the demolition of the Babri Mosque. The sita rasoi and ram chabootara have been given to Nirmohi Akhara.

The bench has also directed maintenance of status quo for three months and invited suggestions from all the parties for demarcation of the land.

In view of the verdict, the nation has been put on high alert. Uttar Pradesh has turned into a fortress with thousands of paramilitary personnel patrolling the streets.

The intelligence network is on high alert throughout the state to monitor movement and activities of anti-social elements.
Aerial surveys of "sensitive places", including the Ram Janmbhoomi complex in Ayodhya has been done, police sources said.

All the security personnel deployed in Ayodhya and Faizabad have been equipped with tear gas shells and rubber bullets and the gazetted officers of various government departments have been asked to assist in policing. They have also been provided with rubber bullets and tear gas shells.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court paved the way for the Ayodhya verdict to be delivered by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court.

Read more »

Posted in: Ayodhya,INDIA news

Live TV facility for train passengers soon

PATNA: While Railways has been focusing more on its modernization plan for safety reasons, it has also decided to provide entertainment to passengers on running trains.

It recently held talks with a renowned service provider to install live television facilities on a few select trains.

Depending on its successful implementation, railways could provide this facility in more premier trains.

According to a railway board official, earlier the music system was introduced in a few select trains including Rajdhani Express on several routes. But it was later withdrawn for one reason or the other. Now railways is keen to provide Live TV services on running trains for the entertainment of passengers during their long journey, the official said.

The board official told TOI that the railways has decided to launch Live TV services on the most luxurious trains Palace on Wheels and Royal Rajasthan on Wheels first on trial basis. These two luxurious trains are already fitted with flat screen LCD televisions. Thus it would not be a problem for railways to introduce TV channels on running trains, he said adding it would facilitate passengers of these two trains to get in touch with latest news.

According to the Board official, railways is chalking out a comprehensive plan to provide more amenities to passengers on running trains on the pattern of trains in European countries. While safety has been the main priority of the railways, improved amenity for the passengers on the running trains is now other concern of the railways. Indian Railways is still the cheapest means of communication compared to railway services in foreign countries, he said.

Meanwhile, railways has started the process to install close circuit cameras (CCTV) in all super fast trains across the country to step up security measures on running trains. This decision has been taken in the wake of repeated attacks on railway property and passenger trains, the Board official added.

According to him, the new system will also help railway security personnel to keep a tab on the activities of criminals or terrorists. Under the new plan, railways intends to install master computers at different places in various zones to keep under watch running trains through CCTV. Railway vigilance staff are working to prepare a foolproof security system on running trains, the official said.

Besides, railways is likely to introduce a new system in the Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi Express trains under which doors would remain locked throughout the journey. In any emergency, passengers could press the button provided in coaches and then a security staff would be available to them for assistance, sources said.

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Posted in: INDIA news,National News

Live TV facility for train passengers soon

PATNA: While Railways has been focusing more on its modernization plan for safety reasons, it has also decided to provide entertainment to passengers on running trains.

It recently held talks with a renowned service provider to install live television facilities on a few select trains.

Depending on its successful implementation, railways could provide this facility in more premier trains.

According to a railway board official, earlier the music system was introduced in a few select trains including Rajdhani Express on several routes. But it was later withdrawn for one reason or the other. Now railways is keen to provide Live TV services on running trains for the entertainment of passengers during their long journey, the official said.

The board official told TOI that the railways has decided to launch Live TV services on the most luxurious trains Palace on Wheels and Royal Rajasthan on Wheels first on trial basis. These two luxurious trains are already fitted with flat screen LCD televisions. Thus it would not be a problem for railways to introduce TV channels on running trains, he said adding it would facilitate passengers of these two trains to get in touch with latest news.

According to the Board official, railways is chalking out a comprehensive plan to provide more amenities to passengers on running trains on the pattern of trains in European countries. While safety has been the main priority of the railways, improved amenity for the passengers on the running trains is now other concern of the railways. Indian Railways is still the cheapest means of communication compared to railway services in foreign countries, he said.

Meanwhile, railways has started the process to install close circuit cameras (CCTV) in all super fast trains across the country to step up security measures on running trains. This decision has been taken in the wake of repeated attacks on railway property and passenger trains, the Board official added.

According to him, the new system will also help railway security personnel to keep a tab on the activities of criminals or terrorists. Under the new plan, railways intends to install master computers at different places in various zones to keep under watch running trains through CCTV. Railway vigilance staff are working to prepare a foolproof security system on running trains, the official said.

Besides, railways is likely to introduce a new system in the Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi Express trains under which doors would remain locked throughout the journey. In any emergency, passengers could press the button provided in coaches and then a security staff would be available to them for assistance, sources said.

Read more »

Posted in: INDIA news,National News

India braced for violence ahead of Muslim v Hindu Ayodhya verdict

The ruling will bring a legal settlement to the property dispute which spans more than 60 years of Indian independence and caused riots throughout India in 1992 when extremists destroyed the site's 16th Century Babri Mosque to build a temple to the Hindu God Ram. More than 2,000 were killed in the violence which spread throughout India.

The government banned bulk text message sending to stop militant groups spreading false information and inciting violence amid fears the clashes could be repeated following today's (THURS) High Court decision ahead of the opening of the Commonwealth Games on Sunday. 
The country is already on alert for a potential terrorist attack on the Games in the capital and its security personnel will be stretched even further by the threat of riots.
The Supreme Court rejected an appeal by a former senior official on Tuesday to delay the verdict until after the Commonwealth Games.
Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, yesterday published a direct appeal in all popular newspapers, pleading with Hindus and Muslims to respect the court's verdict and challenge it through legal channels if they cannot accept it.
"It goes without saying that the judgment needs to be treated with the utmost respect. At the same time, we must remember the fact that the judgment, at this stage, is just one step in the judicial process. The determination of the issues need not necessarily end with this judgement unless it is accepted by all parties," he said.
"It is necessary for all sections of the people of India to maintain equanimity and tranquillity in the aftermath of the judgment. There should be no attempt by any section of the people to provoke any other section or to indulge in any expression of emotion that would hurt the feelings of other people."
Mr Singh pleaded for Indian tradition of respect for all religions be observed and warned that any could harm the country's rapid economic growth.
His appeal however heightened anxiety over the possibility of violence along with firm security measures. In Ayodya itself, in the heart of India's most populous state, police were issued with riot gear, including rubber bullets and tear gas, to quell any violence. Helicopters have been put on standby.
Twenty companies of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force have been drafted to protect the site itself, while 44 districts in the state have been declared as either sensitive or 'hypersensitive.'
The dispute focuses on who owns the site in Ayodhya - 83 miles from the state capital Lucknow - Muslims who have worshipped at the Babri Masjid since its construction in the 16th Century, or Hindus who believe it is the site of an ancient temple to their God, Ram. The property title has been held by the Sunni Central Waqf Board, which protects historic Muslim buildings and land.
In 1992, an estimated 150,000 Hindu fundamentalists, led by leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party, including L.K Advani, converged on the Babri Masjid site where many destroyed the mosque. In the riots which followed in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad more than 2000 were killed. Ten years later, the dispute claimed fresh victims when Muslims attacked and killed 58 Hindu passengers on a train rumoured to be returning from Ayodhya. The massacre sparked riots throughout Gujarat ion which an estimated 1000 are believed to have died.
Leading commentator M.J Akbar, who reported the riots at the time, said he believed Indians had matured since 1992 and would not allow communal feelings threaten the country's growth.
"I think we're going to surprise everyone and shock ourselves by actually keeping the peace. This time around, after 18 years, we're going to show we can handle it through the Supreme Court. Not because we've become Gandhians but because people have realised violence is suicide. Whatever people want, it's not violence," he said.

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Posted in: Ayodhya

India braced for violence ahead of Muslim v Hindu Ayodhya verdict

The ruling will bring a legal settlement to the property dispute which spans more than 60 years of Indian independence and caused riots throughout India in 1992 when extremists destroyed the site's 16th Century Babri Mosque to build a temple to the Hindu God Ram. More than 2,000 were killed in the violence which spread throughout India.

The government banned bulk text message sending to stop militant groups spreading false information and inciting violence amid fears the clashes could be repeated following today's (THURS) High Court decision ahead of the opening of the Commonwealth Games on Sunday. 
The country is already on alert for a potential terrorist attack on the Games in the capital and its security personnel will be stretched even further by the threat of riots.
The Supreme Court rejected an appeal by a former senior official on Tuesday to delay the verdict until after the Commonwealth Games.
Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, yesterday published a direct appeal in all popular newspapers, pleading with Hindus and Muslims to respect the court's verdict and challenge it through legal channels if they cannot accept it.
"It goes without saying that the judgment needs to be treated with the utmost respect. At the same time, we must remember the fact that the judgment, at this stage, is just one step in the judicial process. The determination of the issues need not necessarily end with this judgement unless it is accepted by all parties," he said.
"It is necessary for all sections of the people of India to maintain equanimity and tranquillity in the aftermath of the judgment. There should be no attempt by any section of the people to provoke any other section or to indulge in any expression of emotion that would hurt the feelings of other people."
Mr Singh pleaded for Indian tradition of respect for all religions be observed and warned that any could harm the country's rapid economic growth.
His appeal however heightened anxiety over the possibility of violence along with firm security measures. In Ayodya itself, in the heart of India's most populous state, police were issued with riot gear, including rubber bullets and tear gas, to quell any violence. Helicopters have been put on standby.
Twenty companies of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force have been drafted to protect the site itself, while 44 districts in the state have been declared as either sensitive or 'hypersensitive.'
The dispute focuses on who owns the site in Ayodhya - 83 miles from the state capital Lucknow - Muslims who have worshipped at the Babri Masjid since its construction in the 16th Century, or Hindus who believe it is the site of an ancient temple to their God, Ram. The property title has been held by the Sunni Central Waqf Board, which protects historic Muslim buildings and land.
In 1992, an estimated 150,000 Hindu fundamentalists, led by leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party, including L.K Advani, converged on the Babri Masjid site where many destroyed the mosque. In the riots which followed in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad more than 2000 were killed. Ten years later, the dispute claimed fresh victims when Muslims attacked and killed 58 Hindu passengers on a train rumoured to be returning from Ayodhya. The massacre sparked riots throughout Gujarat ion which an estimated 1000 are believed to have died.
Leading commentator M.J Akbar, who reported the riots at the time, said he believed Indians had matured since 1992 and would not allow communal feelings threaten the country's growth.
"I think we're going to surprise everyone and shock ourselves by actually keeping the peace. This time around, after 18 years, we're going to show we can handle it through the Supreme Court. Not because we've become Gandhians but because people have realised violence is suicide. Whatever people want, it's not violence," he said.

Read more »

Posted in: Ayodhya