It was the last decade of the 20th century and communal tensions were at their peak all over the country. The apple of discord was the mosque situated in the holy city of Ayodhya; the conflict between the two largest religious communities of the country had seemingly reached the "no-return" point. The thinking among the rulers was that it was too late in the day to try to stop the ongoing tug of war tarnishing the age-old reputation of India as a multi-religious, spiritual and highly tolerant nation. But there were reasonable apprehensions that the fire might engulf many other old mosques across the country. They, therefore, decided to enact a law that could apply brakes to all such aspirations and plans. Picking a suitable title for the proposed law was a hard nut to crack. The thought process about it got unduly prolonged, but it was soon realized that time was running out. The proposed law was eventually passed in September 1991 under the cryptic title Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act. The idea of keeping its title vague might have been taken from a law enacted three years earlier by the equally ambiguous title of Religious Places (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988.
Bu hikaye Hindustan Times Mumbai dergisinin December 15, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Hindustan Times Mumbai dergisinin December 15, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Bigotry, bias, acceptance: For EWS kids, school life a mixed bag
NEW DELHI: The moment her Hindi teacher announced a group quiz in class one day, dread enveloped the 15-year-old girl hiding in the back benches at a private school in south Delhi.
'Our dreams are shattered': Deaths in Georgia wreck homes in Punjab
MEA OFFICIALS SAID THEY WERE WORKING TO BRING THE BODIES BACK TO INDIA
Kurla BEST bus mishap: Test reveals driver not mentally ill
MUMBAI: Sanjay More, the driver of the BEST bus that met with an accident on December 9 in which eight people lost their lives, was not mentally ill, according to tests conducted by the police.
China building villages near Doklam in Bhutan: Sat data
NEW DELHI: China has built at least 22 villages and settlements over the past eight years within territory that has traditionally been part of Bhutan, with eight villages coming up in areas in proximity to the strategic Doklam plateau since 2020, according to satellite imagery.
67% sanitation workers from SC communities: Centre to LS
NEW DELHI: Two-thirds of sewer and septic tank workers (SSWs) in urban local bodies across India, surveyed by the Union government, come from Scheduled Caste (SC) communities, the Centre informed Parliament on Tuesday.
ONOP will test govt's ability to muster up two-thirds majority
The NDA government's ambitious plan for simultaneous national and state polls could be a test of its ability to muster the requisite numbers as it doesn't have a two-thirds majority needed to push through a Constitution amendment under Article 368 in the Lok Sabha.
'One election' bill tabled in House, may be sent to JPC
The Union government on Tuesday introduced in the Lok Sabha two bills aimed at ushering in simultaneous state and national elections amid loud protests by the Opposition - taking the first step towards implementing sweeping changes in the way polls are conducted in the world's largest democracy.
MOVE AGAINST FEDERALISM, WILL ALTER BASIC STRUCTURE: OPPN
Opposition leaders on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the bills introduced in the Lok Sabha that propose simultaneous elections to the Lower House and state assemblies, arguing that the legislation undermines federalism, violates the Constitution's basic structure, was introduced without adequate consultation with states and envisions an impractical scenario.
BJP govts to soon bring UCC in every state: Shah
NEW DELHI: The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) implemented by Uttarakhand is a model law that will be debated widely and then the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments will bring a common civil code in all states, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday as he accused the Congress of undermining the Constitution and promoting appeasement politics.
From 2025, NTA not to hold recruitment tests
The National Testing Agency (NTA) will, from 2025, conduct only entrance exams for higher education institutions and not recruitment exams, a move aimed at improving its functioning and in keeping with the recommendations of a high-level committee set up in June 2024.
