A mosque in the northern Indian city of Varanasi is at the center of a dispute between local Hindu and Muslim communities, with one side hoping to build a temple there, and the other side set on preventing the mosque's destruction.

Varanasi

A mosque located in the northern Indian city of Varanasi has become the focal point of a dispute between local Hindu and Muslim communities. The contention arises as one group aims to transform the mosque into a Hindu temple, while the other is staunchly opposed to its demolition.

Sohanlal Arya, a 72-year-old activist, has been at the forefront of the movement to convert Varanasi's oldest mosque into a Hindu temple, a campaign he has pursued through the courts for four decades. Arya advocates for the temple's significance to Hinduism, describing it as a venerable site dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Gyanvapi Mosque dispute is illustrative of the broader religious tensions within India, particularly as the country conducts its largest election, with nearly a billion people eligible to vote.

The election forecasts suggest a victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist BJP party, potentially securing Modi a third consecutive term. Modi's administration has faced criticism from Muslim groups accusing it of enacting policies discriminatory towards Muslims and inciting sporadic instances of violence between the Hindu and Muslim communities, which comprise approximately 14% of India's population.

Varanasi's Gyanvapi Mosque is situated adjacent to the city's most significant Hindu temple, a site of ongoing religious and legal controversies. In a recent development, a court allowed Hindu priests the right to pray at a part of the mosque compound. Despite this, Arya expresses a desire to see the mosque demolished in favor of a Hindu temple, hoping for support from a potential Modi government.

On the opposing side, 78-year-old Syed Mohammed Yassin is committed to preventing the mosque's demolition. Yassin, armed with extensive legal documentation, represents a segment determined to fight the mosque's destruction through legal avenues. He warns of the dire consequences of escalating religious tensions, drawing parallels to past conflicts that have resulted in violence and unrest.

As India's general election progresses, the outcome is anticipated to impact the ongoing dispute in Varanasi, with both Arya and Yassin bracing for the implications of the election results, expected on June 4.



Mosque in Hindu holy land at centre of dispute as India votes

Sohanlal Arya is in the fight of his life. The 72-year-old is one of dozens of activists in the Indian city of Varanasi who want to turn its oldest mosque into a Hindu temple. Arya has been petitioning the courts to do it for four decades. SOHANLAL ARYA, Activist, Indian City of Varanasi, India This temple is very important for the Hindu religion, especially because, for thousands of years, it has been the place of our lord of lords, our beloved Lord Shiva. The battle over Gyanvapi Mosque is symbolic of the tension between Hindus and Muslims in India, as the country holds the world's biggest election. Nearly a billion people will be eligible to vote. Opinion polls predict an easy win for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist BJP party, which would hand him a rare third straight term. Muslim advocates accuse his party of discrimination and imposing laws that interfere with their faith. Modi denies it, but there has been sporadic violence between both sides. About 14 percent of the population is Muslim. The Varanasi site is not the only contested ground. In January, Modi opened a temple to the Hindu Lord Ram in Ayodhya. It was built on the site of a 16th-century mosque that was destroyed by a Hindu mob in 1992, claiming it was the birthplace of the god King. Arya was there. He remembers it fondly and even has a brick from the mosque. Nationwide riots over the dispute left 2,000 people dead, mostly Muslims. As for Gyanvapi, in late January, a court ruled that Hindu priests can pray on part of it. The mosque is just next door to Varanasi's largest and holiest Hindu temple. But that's not enough for Arya. He says he has no ill will towards Muslims, but he wants the mosque razed, and is hoping another win for Modi could bolster his case. Absolutely, we are fully hopeful that the forthcoming government will take care of the sentiments of all Hindus, will be sensitive to the feelings of all followers of the Hindu faith across the world, and will build a magnificent temple. Seventy-eight-year-old Syed Mohammed Yassin is determined to make sure that does not happen. Like Arya, he's also fighting, but on the other side, to prevent the mosque's demolition. Yassin has the stacks of court files to prove it. What happened then was really bad. Everything was wrong. There were riots in so many places. But what they are doing now... They are coming through court. India's general election is being held from April to June in seven stages. Yassin says a Modi win could complicate things, but he's determined to fight until the bitter end. So far, we are going by the law. Let us see how this goes further on. We have our backs to the wall. You know what happens when you're pushed up against the wall. Either you die or you stand up. Results in the vote are expected on June 4th.

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