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Published on
January 15, 2024
March 31, 2024
Edited on
January 15, 2024
Soon after the Supreme Court settled the decades-old Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute by handing the land to a trust to build a temple in 2019, a new set of conflicts arose as Ayodhya began a mega renovation project for the massive inauguration of the temple.
After the foundation stone for the Ram Temple was laid on 5 August 2020, PM Modi unveiled plans for the construction of an international 'Sri Ram' airport, a modern railway station, a two-km long elevated road leading to the temple complex and the development of the entire 84-mile perimeter area around the city as a religious destination.
About 1,200 acres of land were identified in and around Ayodhya for residential, commercial, and retail development. In June 2021, the first attempt at demolitions for the widening of roads was opposed by the shopkeepers/traders at the Hanuman Garhi road. They accused the district administration of shying away from rolling out a clear-cut policy of either compensation or allotment of areas for new shops for those who will be displaced.
In another region, the project to install Lord Ram’s statue in Manja Barhata village of the district was stalled as farmers challenged the acquisition of their land in the court.
By April 2021, the Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) received around 1,084 objections to the Ayodhya Mahayojana 2031 (Ayodhya Master Plan 2031). The maximum number of objections (250) were related to the Ayodhya airport project as locals had purchased land near the airport site long back and some of them had also constructed their homes in the area.
Shopkeepers and traders situated around the temple complex were still up in arms against the administration. Still, the Ayodhya district administration started demolishing shops on 4 December 2022 at Naya Ghat for the 13-km long Ram Path stretch widening project.
Around 450 shops and 30 temples were demolished by the end of 2022. There were allegations that the administration had backtracked on their promise of giving shops/traders time till 15 December 2022 to demolish their establishments on their own. It was further claimed that instead of restricting the road widening up to 20 meters as promised, they went beyond it. They also protested against the low compensation paid to them.
By 2023, it was reported that around 4,000 homes and shops were demolished to remake Ayodhya and 40,000 people were affected. Most of them complained of not receiving any compensation, others claimed their compensation was severely inadequate.
Villagers in Manjha Barhata, on the other hand, accused the administration of forcibly acquiring their land and giving less or no compensation in return. This occurred following the Allahabad High Court's order in 2020 directing the Uttar Pradesh government to follow due procedures under the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act of 2013.
Meanwhile, it was said that the Uttar Pradesh chief minister personally resolved complicated land acquisition issues through dialogue with landowners for the airport. However, several residents of Ayodhya questioned the price they had to pay for the remake of the city.
Demand for compensation
Demand for more compensation than promised
Demand to get back acquired land
Demand to relocate the project
Urban
Common and Private
Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project underway despite protests
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
No
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Residential area, Commercial
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
No
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
28000
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
2023
Page Number In Investment Document:
3
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
Yes
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Forced evictions/dispossession of land
Non-consultation with stakeholders
Non-payment of compensation/promised compensation
Controversial land acquisition by the government
Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Pending
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
No
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Allahabad High Court
Case Number
Writ-C 2461/2020, Writ-C 1829/2023
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Nature of Protest
Advocacy (for inclusion in courts)
Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Ayodhya Development Authority, UP Housing And Development Board, UPPWD and district administration
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Structures demolished for widening of roads in Ayodhya
Image Credit:
Prabhat Kumar | Multimedia Journalist
A view of shops razed down for the redevelopment of Ayodhya
Image Credit:
Prabhat Kumar | Multimedia Journalist
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