AYODHYA, 12 March 2003 — A court ordered yesterday that archaeologists conduct a fresh survey before excavating a controversial religious site that is bitterly disputed by the country’s Hindus and Muslims.
“The high court has ordered that the preliminary survey should be conducted all over again in the presence of the representatives of parties (to the dispute),” said Faizabad city commissioner Rajendra Mohan Srivasta.
He said the excavation was unlikely to start before late today at the site in the ancient town of Ayodhya in Faizabad in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
The excavation work on the site — where Hindu zealots in December 1992 destroyed the 16th century Babri Mosque, sparking sectarian riots in which thousands died — follows a court order last week issued in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh to determine whether a Hindu shrine previously existed there.
Hindus claim the 16th century mosque was built by Moghul emperor Babar after destroying a temple to their deity Ram, who they say was born on the site.
The destruction of the mosque sparked riots across India that claimed about 2,000 lives. It was also a factor in communal clashes last year in western Gujarat state that killed another 2,000 people, mostly Muslims.
Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI) has been ordered to complete the dig within a month and to give a progress report to the court on March 24. Members of ASI had a meeting with Faizabad administration officials to iron out various procedures before starting the digging work.
Srivastava said that there were 20 representatives from different parties to the dispute who would be given special identity cards to enable them to inspect the digging work.
He said that the laborers would also be provided with a crane in case they had to take out heavy structures such as pillars.
Tight security arrangements have been provided for the archaeologists and the laborers who will be carrying out the digging work inside tent canopies at places marked out after the survey.
