Father Cedric Prakash, who directs a human rights center in Gujarat, has joined secular groups in welcoming the Supreme Court decision on the Ayodhya case. The court today stayed the order by the Allahabad High Court in September 2010 that accepted the disputed site of a 16th century mosque as the birthplace of Lord Ram. The bench, consisting of Justice Aftab Alam and Justice R.M. Lodha, said “status quo as a disputed site will remain”. The justices described the order by the lower court on the Babri Masjid-Ramjanambhoomi disputed site as strange and surprising. The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on September 30, 2010, ruled that the land around the disputed site would be divided into three parts for Hindu and Muslim groups. Various groups had challenged the lower court order to divide the disputed site into three parts and give each to a Muslim group, a Hindu welfare board and another party that claims to represent the Hindu deity, Ram. “The Supreme Court has rightfully termed the High Court order as strange,” Father Prakash said in a statement soon after the stay order was made. The lower court had given greater “weight” to “faith” and “sentiments” than what is right and what can be proven, the priest said. Father Prakash said he hoped the final judgment would “ultimately” serve “the cause of truth and justice” and that all parties concerned would ensure an amicable and harmonious end to this long-standing dispute.
