The story starts with the birth of the Hindu god “Shri Rama” in the ancient city of Ayodhya, the capital of the kingdom of Kosala, over seven millennia ago. Such is mentioned in the earliest records to date, that were written somewhere around three and a half thousand years ago. One of the principal deities of the Sanatana Dharma, the birthplace of Shri Rama is an important landmark that carries an especially holy meaning for Hindus throughout the world. 

According to scriptures, the Lord was an avatar of the preserver of the universe, Shri Hari Vishnu, born to establish the divine purpose of Dharma and Righteousness and to slay the demon-king of the kingdom of Lanka–Ravana. Over the past decades, several scriptures, inscriptions and artifacts have been discovered that relate to the historic epic of Ramayana. All of the accumulated proof points towards the city of Ayodhya as the “Rama Janmabhoomi” or “The land where the god Rana was born”. In mythology and our scriptures, the location is said to be situated on the banks of the river Sarayu, and bearing the name “Ayodhya”. 

The second piece of this problematic puzzle comes into play in 1527 AD, when the mughal empire was a sapling freshly plante. The mughal commander Mir Baqi built the Babri Masjid in the city of Ayodhya under the rule of emperor Babur by “supposedly” destroying a temple that stood as a marker of the lord’s birthplace. The place would later come under the rule of Awadhi Nawabs and hence, the mosque would cement its place in the landscape of the city. Gradually, the land forgot about the existence of such a temple, but the scars remained fresh in the memories of Hindus who hoped to pray undisturbed at the same spot someday soon. 

For centuries, the legitimacy of the temple and the mosque was contested, fueled by archeological finds that gave conflicting results in favor of three major religious communities–Hindus, Muslims and Jain-Buddhists. Hindus argued that the temple stood first, the Muslims debated that the mosque was built on land inhabited by their “people” first, and the Jain-Buddhists argued that a Chaitya stood on those grounds originally.

Even if the temple was reduced to rubble and a mosque was built on top, Hindus would travel from far and wide to pray at the spot, in the masjid or mosque’s courtyard, while Muslims would offer prayers inside. This unfazed behavior of the two communities at odds would shock the Britishers, and they would create a formal system for this arrangement; two segregated areas corresponding to each religious group. This system continued until the independence of India, after which the site soon became a “disputed land” again and the communities returned to their hostile methods for what they believed was “justice”.

While the British archeologists are said to have found only “rubbish” and “rubble” at the site, archeological studies that took place in the later half of the 20th century discovered artifacts that deepened the confusion. Perhaps the discovery of artifacts by later archeologists and not the ones employed by the British government can be credited to the advancements in technology. From the findings, two “muslim” graves, and animal remains declared that the site was home to a non-vegetarian civilization of Islamic influence. The discovery of the “Jain ascetic” terracotta figure strengthened the Buddhist claim. However, the Vishnu-Hari inscription and the 12-stone pillars of Hindu influence inside the mosque itself pointed towards the Sanatan sect being correct. 

The time period from India’s independence to the Supreme Court’s ruling was marked by various, sometimes deadly, clashes that rendered the mosque-temple site unsafe for public use. Hence, it was locked and barred from entrance. However, various mystical events took place that fascinated Hindus, resparking interests in their claim to the site. The guard on duty seeing a “beautiful boy” inside the locked compound and the appearance of a Rama idol increased the desperation of Hindus for a temple. These instances are alleged to be the propaganda efforts of the “Hindu Vishwa Parishad” and the BJP party, with no known conclusive proof. The careful influence by political parties led up to the demolition of the masjid in 1992, that sparked conflicts nation wide and led to the demolition of as many as 30 other Hindu temples throughout the nation and the neighboring country of Pakistan, and the death of about 2000 people. 

Media outlets fuelled this fire by adding twisting facts that angered the public even more. Riots and nationwide protests were common. The Congress party, which was the ruling party back then, was blamed for illicit behavior and public appeasement to try and win the upcoming elections by promising the area to the majority Hindus. As such, an ensuing land title case was lodged in the Allahabad High Court, whose verdict was pronounced on 30 September 2010. 

In the judgment, the three judges of the Allahabad High Court ruled that the Ayodhya land should be divided into three parts, with one third going to the “Ram Lalla” or Infant Rama represented by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, one third going to the Uttar Pradesh Central Sunni Waqf Board and the remaining third going to Nirmohi Akhara, a Hindu religious sect. This verdict was dubbed the “Five acre Justice” as a land area of five acres was provided to Muslims for the construction of a mosque whereas the temple was to be built on an area of 2.7 acres. This decision finally put an end to the debate after five centuries. 

The “pran-pratishtha” ceremony or the “invocation of god into the idol” ceremony of the newly built Rama Mandir took place on January 22, 2024 after a full 497 years of the temple’s demolition. The decision is covered in allegations of non-secular behavior and politics to win votes in the upcoming elections, yet again. Throughout the world, Hindus celebrate this news in the same way they celebrate the festival of “Deepawali”. While the Hindus celebrate this occasion as a festival, it is necessary to know that they do not look upon this as a celebration of the defeat or loss of some other community, but as a justice they have finally received after a long and painful struggle. The realization of the loss and pain that led up to this moment is well known and so is the regret that slightly sours this moment of glory.

Sergio Shumsher JB Rana is an A Levels student at Trinity International College.

Other articles by Sergio Shumsher:
What is the luxury of life?
Nepal: Glory of the past, vision for future

It is human nature to be unsatisfied with what we have. Constance and satisfaction are but a few examples of virtues humanity has not been blessed with. For an ever growing world that changes, progresses and develops with the passing of time, the act of submission and satisfaction is unacceptable. Perhaps this quality is not one to boast about. But how else would society move on and progress without being stuck at one point if humans did not have the desperate need to improve? The various answers to this question regarding one’s desires display our situations and our deepest wishes.

A doctor might yearn for the power to heal anyone that darkens their doorstep, a politician might crave for power enough to grant complete dominion over all, and a businessman might want a treasury deep enough to sustain the next ten generations with ease. But what of those of us who do not want riches or power but the most bare and basic need of all? Life? What is it that makes these two cravings so similar yet poles apart at the same time? For the children dead on both sides of any war, the only desire their pure hearts held was safety, and an end to their suffering. For many of us fortunate enough, luxury might be defined as designer clothes, exotic delicacies from across the planet or even a vacation in an isolated place. But what of those for whom these items are not a concept at all, as basic needs such as dignity or safety itself are foreign? To the victims who have lost their parents and siblings, friends and acquaintances for reasons as silly as war, the right to live without fear is a luxury one cannot afford no matter the price you are willing to pay. The sad fact here is, all humans, even if we belong to the same race, are somehow not equally equitable to just “existing”. But one might argue that certain wars are justifiably correct! When we fight against corrupt people or disturbing ideologies that threaten the sanctity of humanity as an emotion, it must be correct. But is it? Who determines these plainly observable criminal offenses to be correct or incorrect? Is it the victims who had no hand in the decisions that turned the world against them? Obviously not. To this there is a quote by philosopher Bertrand Russell, that sums up this whole argument in a few words, “War does not determine who is right, only who is left”.

In any endeavor that remotely resembles this situation, a heavy price is paid for the damages theoretically and literally caused, but not by the ones responsible for it. The gun that shoots innocents is placed upon the shoulders of a people who are unaware, but the trigger is pulled from the shadows by ungodly leviathans. To those of us that still believe these occasions of genocide are even obscurely justifiable, can say it so to the babe that just lost the comfort of its mother’s lap and the shade of its father’s protection, all for a crime they did not even commit. What fault can there be in innocents that wish to be afforded the luxury of life. While our children wish for things any child should be allowed to ask for at their age like toys or chocolates or even good grades, why is it that those children that face the horrors of conflict are forced to wish desperately upon all gods and powers of this world for food, shelter or just to be able to see tomorrow’s daylight?

History has borne witness to countless instances where the human race has failed to uphold righteousness and justice. Since the 1800’s alone, an estimated 37 million people have died worldwide actively fighting in wars. The death toll would be much higher if civilian loss of life is to be accounted for. As of now, over 400 million children live in countries involved in wars or other violent conflicts. In WWII, about 1.8 million victims were children. Even now, the casualties in the current Israel-Hamas and Russo-Ukraine wars are rising at 28,000 and 514,500 respectively. What fault did these innocents have? All of them, civilians or otherwise, are precious lives lost for a cause that doesn’t even matter in the grand scheme of things. If their stories were to be heard, humanity might finally learn of the insignificance of pride and prejudice when life itself is threatened. No matter how many testimonies are taken or victims are accounted for, the truth remains plain and simple: The world is a cruel place that does not hold enough love and empathy to be shared among everyone, especially if the person in question is powerless to even protect their own life. So, I ask you to wonder, dear reader, what is the luxury of life?

Sergio Shumsher JB Rana is an A Levels student at Trinity International College.

[Related: Nepal: Glory of the past, vision for future]

Nepal’s history was also changed by the Ranas, an autocratic-familial regime that reshaped the nation for better or for worse. Industries were opened, roads were built and international relations prospered. While the nation saw more exports than imports, and glory in the battlefields of WWI and WWII, the people were not so fortunate. Widespread oppression of ideas and knowledge was a benchmark of the era as the moon emblem of the Ranas eclipsed the Sun-emblem Shahs of Nepal. Then came the fight for democracy that ended in the end of the Rana regime, the formation and dissolution of the Panchayat system and the ultimate termination of the monarchy itself. Back then, the country had a GDP per capita of just 404$, and the inflation was at a mighty 9.8 percent. The time duration from 1980 onwards is marked by an ever changing economy that has gradually but surely, weakened. Now the GDP per capita is a mere 1337$ per capita, barely ranking us in the list of the top 100 economies. Nepal’s export is limited, but our demands are increasing evermore, resulting in an alarming rise in import rates. While the country exports herbs, handicrafts, spices and garments that account for 5.12 percent of the GDP, we also import oil, gold, iron and steel, clothes, pharmaceutical products, cement, electronic appliances, food and vehicles that amounts to 37.93 percent of our GDP. In addition, each person of Nepal has a public debt burden of NPR 68,755. This and other factors like slow and unsatisfactory development results and the lack of overall facilities has led to an alarmingly high amount of capable manpower leaving the country for good.

This has a devastating impact on the economy and the future. All of this has forced us to be dissatisfied with a nation that bears such a glorious past. In academics, the country boasts people who are capable of exceeding standards set by society. Yet, due to the depreciating condition of Nepali educational institutions, they are forced to seek knowledge abroad. According to a study by the International Organization for Migration, approximately 36 percent of Nepali youth aspire to leave the nation for prospects of education and employment and plan to settle abroad. In an era of endless developments in the fields of medicine, computing and even exploration, we are forced to watch as the world moves on forward. This is not because we lack the skilled manpower to accomplish such tasks, but because our country isn’t stable enough to support or sponsor such endeavors. Our motherland is forced to nurture and cultivate such prodigies and watch as they are forced to go to foreign lands so that they may use their skills and earn a livelihood.

This in no way means that we are not trying. The government has tried to create new sources of income at every turn. Establishment of industries and businesses are a dire need of the country’s current economy, hence the government looks towards them favorably. Hydropower, industrial manufacturing, infrastructure development, tourism, agriculture, minerals, and mining are some areas where investments are projected to give large profits. If we are able to identify the market’s demands, and somehow prevent our skilled manpower from leaving, there is a chance our economy could recover.

 We have faced countless obstacles and set-backs that have troubled us and the country alike. But, the nation and its people are known to display extraordinary resilience in times of distress. It is a certainty that we will change, and shape our future for the better, regardless of the hurdles we face along the way or the challenges that we have to overcome. For the betterment of our children and theirs too, Nepal has to change. For whatever we may lose, we will never let go of our ambitions of preserving the past, efforts of improving the present and our yearning for a better future.

Sergio Shumsher JB Rana is an A Levels student at Trinity International College.