Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Legitimising revanchism: On the Gyanvapi case and the Allahabad High Court

Legitimising revanchism: On the Gyanvapi case and the Allahabad High Court

Courts should not stray (भटका हुआ) from the constitutional vision of secularism (धर्मनिरपेक्षता)

The judiciary (a branch of government in which judicial power is vested) should not be seen as legitimising (वैधता) recurring (पुनरावर्ती), communally motivated attempts to change the status of places of worship (पूजा स्थल). In yet another order that may end up expediting (जल्दी करना, शीघ्रता करना) the project of converting a mosque into a temple by indirect means (way, method, mode), the Allahabad High Court has ruled that a set of suits (lawsuit, court case, case, legal action, litigation) filed in 1991 for a declaration that a part of the site of the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi as the property of Lord Vishweshwar is not barred by law. The court has decided, as it had done earlier on a 2022 suit by a group of Hindu worshippers, that the old suits are not barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which invalidates (अमान्य करना) legal proceedings (कार्यवाही) that may lead to (result in, cause, bring on, call forth, give rise to) altering the status of any place of worship as it stood on August 15, 1947. In what seems to be specious (deceptive, false, fallacious, incorrect, delusive, ambiguous, deceitful) reasoning (reason, thinking, logicality, rationality, interpretation, analysis), the court has held that the Act is not applicable (relevant, appropriate, pertinent, germane, suitable) as the “religious character (nature, identity, status, image)” of the structure (संरचना) is yet to be determined. In other words (दूसरे शब्दों में), instead of nipping the cunning (चालाक) piece of litigation (मुकदमेबाजी) in the bud, the court has allowed a full civil trial to decide whether the structure in the Gyanvapi compound is a mosque or a temple and stated that unless this status is determined based on evidence, it cannot be called a temple or a mosque. Such an approach may only end up driving (move, push, propel) modern society into a revanchist (विद्रोही) mindset seeking (try, aim, attempt) to avenge (take revenge for, take vengeance for, retaliate for) medieval (मध्यकालीन) depredations.

In the case of the 2022 suits by women worshippers, the court had noted that the proceedings were aimed at asserting (uphold, defend, stand up for, press/push for, insist on) a right to worship the deities (god, goddess, divine being) on the mosque precincts (an area which is restricted/enclosed with walls or some definite boundaries for specific purposes), and not to convert it into a temple. However, the 1991 suits explicitly (absolutely, directly, clearly, categorically, conclusively, unconditionally, unequivocally, unqualifiedly, unambiguously, outright) seek a declaration (pronouncement, announcement, disclosure, validation) that the main part of the site is a mosque and also want the mosque administrators to remove all their religious effects. Despite this explicit (clear, straightforward, definite, specific, categorical) relief being sought, the court has chosen to treat it as a suit that is maintainable (relating to a suit for its maintainability requires no authority of law and it is enough that no statute bars the suit) and not barred by the Places of Worship Act. The order has also upheld the order for a survey of the premises (building, buildings, site, place, property) by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) (The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under the Ministry of Culture, was established in the year 1861 is the premier organization for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation), but asked for the ASI survey done on the basis of the 2022 suits for the purpose of deciding the 1991 suits also. It has provided for a further survey, if necessary. What is disconcerting (upsetting, discomfiting, unsettling, disturbing, disquieting, troubling) in the High Court order is that it claims (assert, state, declare, argue, insist, affirm) that the dispute raised in the case is “of vital national importance”. This is an astounding (staggering, shocking, surprising) claim for a judicial institution to make while adjudicating (adjudge, judge, decide, settle, resolve) litigation between two parties. The judiciary must stay (remain, continue to be) committed (resolute, determined, purposeful, firm, resolved) to the constitutional vision of secularism and enforce (implement, impose, execute, effectuate) the statutory (legal, lawful, legitimate, rightful, constitutional) bar (prohibition, ban, debarment, restriction, limitation) on converting or reconverting the status of places of worship.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.legitimise (verb)

Hindi Meaning - वैधता
English Meaning - validate, legitimate, justify, permit/endorse, sanction.

2.revanchism (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विद्रोहवाद
English Meaning - the political manifestation/indication of the will to reverse territorial losses incurred by a country, often following war or social movement.

3.stray (verb)

Hindi Meaning - भटका हुआ
English Meaning - lose one’s way, drift, deviate, get sidetracked.

4.secularism (noun)

Hindi Meaning - धर्मनिरपेक्षता
English Meaning - the belief that religion should not have a strong influence in education or other public parts of society.

5.recurring (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पुनरावर्ती
English Meaning - happening or occurring frequently; constant, continuing, repeated.

6.places of worship (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पूजा स्थल
English Meaning - structures created for worship such as temples, churches, mosques, synagogues and etc.

7.expedite (verb)

Hindi Meaning - जल्दी करना, शीघ्रता करना
English Meaning - accelerate, speed up, step up, quicken.

8.invalidate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - अमान्य करना
English Meaning - nullify, annul, cancel, quash, overturn, overrule, abolish, repeal, revoke.

9.proceeding (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कार्यवाही
English Meaning - legal action/case, legal trial, inquiry, hearing.

10.structure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संरचना
English Meaning - building, construction.

11.In other words (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - दूसरे शब्दों में
English Meaning - put differently; to explain something in a very clear way.

12.cunning (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - चालाक
English Meaning - tricky, devious, manipulative, deceitful.

13.litigation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मुकदमेबाजी
English Meaning - legal case, legal proceeding, legal action.

14.revanchist (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विद्रोही
English Meaning - relating to a policy of fighting back, especially to recover lost territory.

15.medieval (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - मध्यकालीन
English Meaning - very old-fashioned, out of date, outdated, primitive, obsolete.

16.constitutional secularism (noun)

English Meaning - India’s constitutional secularism requires that the Indian state be neither wholly respectful nor disrespectful to religions. Critical respect for all religions is the hallmark of Indian secularism.

17.judiciary (noun)

English Meaning - a branch of government in which judicial power is vested.

18.end up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - finish up, turn up, come/appear, find oneself (to a particular course of action in the end).

19.means (noun)

English Meaning - way, method, mode.

20.suit (noun)

English Meaning - lawsuit, court case, case, legal action, litigation.

21.bar (verb)

English Meaning - ban, prohibit, forbid, prevent.

22.Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 (noun)

English Meaning - An Act to prohibit conversion of any place of worship and to provide for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on the 15th day of August, 1947, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

23.lead to (verb)

English Meaning - result in, cause, bring on, call forth, give rise to.

24.as it stands (phrase)

English Meaning - in its present condition/situation/circumstances.

25.specious (adjective)

English Meaning - deceptive, false, fallacious, incorrect, delusive, ambiguous, deceitful.

26.reasoning (noun)

English Meaning - reason, thinking, logicality, rationality, interpretation, analysis.

27.held past and past participle of hold (verb)

English Meaning - (of a court)rule, decide.

28.Act (noun)

English Meaning - law, decree, statute, rule, ruling, ordinance, legislation.

29.applicable (adjective)

English Meaning - relevant, appropriate, pertinent, germane, suitable.

30.character (noun)

English Meaning - nature, identity, status, image.

31.nip something in the bud (phrase)

English Meaning - to stop something (a potential problem or bad behaviour)at an early stage so that it does not become a serious problem/issue in the future; suppress, prevent, halt, destroy, stifle, obstruct, impede.

32.civil suit/trial (noun)

English Meaning - a court case involves a legal dispute between two or more parties (plaintiff & defendant).

33.drive (verb)

English Meaning - move, push, propel.

34.seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt.

35.avenge (verb)

English Meaning - take revenge for, take vengeance for, retaliate for.

36.depredation (noun)

English Meaning - destruction, devastation, damage.

37.assert (verb)

English Meaning - uphold, defend, stand up for, press/push for, insist on.

38.deity (noun)

English Meaning - god, goddess, divine being.

39.precincts (noun)

English Meaning - an area which is restricted/enclosed with walls or some definite boundaries for specific purposes.

40.explicitly (adverb)

English Meaning - absolutely, directly, clearly, categorically, conclusively, unconditionally, unequivocally, unqualifiedly, unambiguously, outright.

41.declaration (noun)

English Meaning - pronouncement, announcement, disclosure, validation.

42.explicit (adjective)

English Meaning - clear, straightforward, definite, specific, categorical.

43.sought past tense of seek (verb)

English Meaning - aim, attempt, try.

44.maintainable (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a suit for its maintainability requires no authority of law and it is enough that no statute bars the suit.

45.uphold (verb)

English Meaning - confirm, endorse, approve, vindicate, validate.

46.premises (noun)

English Meaning - building, buildings, site, place, property.

47.Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) (noun)

English Meaning - The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under the Ministry of Culture, was established in the year 1861 is the premier organization for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation.

48.ask for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - try to obtain (by requesting).

49.disconcerting (adjective)

English Meaning - upsetting, discomfiting, unsettling, disturbing, disquieting, troubling.

50.claim (verb)

English Meaning - assert, state, declare, argue, insist, affirm.

51.astounding (adjective)

English Meaning - staggering, shocking, surprising.

52.claim (noun)

English Meaning - assertion, affirmation, declaration.

53.adjudicate (verb)

English Meaning - adjudge, judge, decide, settle, resolve.