The push to reclaim historical mosques and monuments as Hindu religious sites has gained momentum in recent years, with Hindu nationalist groups claiming ownership over places like Ayodhya바카라s Babri Masjid, Varanasi바카라s Gyanvapi Mosque, and Mathura바카라s Shahi Eidgah Mosque, and it doesn바카라t end there. The pattern has been seen as part of a larger political strategy바카라leveraging historical disputes to reinforce a particular brand of identity politics, appealing to specific voter bases.
Over the years, these disputes have been systematically politicised, serving as rallying points for political parties. With Ayodhya in their kitty, following the court directive and the grand consecration of the Ram Temple last year, the focus has now shifted to other sites like Gyanvapi and Mathura바카라s Shahi Eidgah mosque.
The Shahi Eidgah came into the spotlight in 2020 when a petition was filed seeking the removal of the mosque, claiming it was built on the site of a temple marking the birthplace of Lord Krishna. While the Allahabad High Court ordered the formation of a commission to conduct a survey of the site in December 2023, the Supreme Court has since placed a stay on the order, halting the survey until further notice.
In October 2022, Outlook released an issue titled 바카라Ayodhya to Hubbali via Kashi and Mathura바카라, following the Ayodhya verdict. The issue looked at how, with Ayodhya settled, attention turned to other disputed places of worship. The issue highlighted how the slogan of the 1990s바카라바카라Ayodhya to bas jhanki hai, Kashi-Mathura baaki hai바카라 (Ayodhya was just a glimpse, Kashi and Mathura will follow)바카라once dismissed as mere rhetoric could very well come true.
The issue also touched upon the Places of Worship Act, 1991 and examined how the act which aims to maintain the religious status quo as of August 15, 1947, was being challenged by Hindu groups seeking to reclaim waqf lands. The act was largely being sidelined in legal debates, and its effectiveness being questioned.
In June 2022, Outlook ran a cover story as part of its 바카라Law and Faith바카라 issue when the Gyanvapi Mosque became the centre of a fresh dispute. The issue explored how right-wing groups were intensifying demands around the mosque, and how it was now up to the judiciary and legislature to find a resolution.
The issue, while mainly focusing on Gyanvapi mosque, also mentioned how the Krishna Janmabhoomi movement in Mathura was fast gaining momentum.
