The Ayodhya dispute explained: Part 1

Twenty seven years after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, the hearings for the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, what we popularly call the Ayodhya dispute, are drawing to a close this week. The Supreme Court has said they’ll take about a month to announce their judgement after that. This is going to be a historic moment for a country whose society and politics have been influenced so deeply by this dispute. On the first part of our Ayodhya series, we dive into the history of the conflict, how it changed India’s socio-political landscape and what the current hearings are discussing. First, Seema Chisti, who was an eye witness in the Babri Masjid demolition case, talks about how the dispute dates back to the 19th Century and how events unfolded on that fateful day. Next, Apurva Vishwanath, who reports on courts and law for the Indian Express, gives us a legal primer on the four suits being discussed in the case to understand the details of the hearings better.