Most Rev. Joseph D’Souza after Ayodhya Supreme Court decision:
India must now find a way forward toward peace and communal harmony
Press Release: The KAIROS Company for Dalit Freedom Network  Nov. 10, 2019

HYDERABAD, India — After a marathon hearing which lasted 40 days, the Supreme Court of India has finally decided on the Babri Masjid land dispute. The court will hand over the 2.7 acres of land for the building of a Hindu temple through a trust to be set up by the Indian government.

The court’s decision brings to a legal closure a long dispute that has inflamed passions, resulted in violence between Hindus and Muslims and led to the deaths of thousands of people who have been killed because of this religious dispute.

Following the court’s decision, the Most Rev. Joseph D’Souza, president of the All India Christian Council, releases the following statement calling Indians to now find a way forward toward peace and communal harmony:

“It is time for Indians to accept the Supreme Court’s decision, however they may feel about it. Those who are aggrieved with the decision need to find the strength to work for peace and communal harmony, while those who feel they have won must also find the humility to accept this judgement with the kind of attitude that respects the Muslim community and their rights in a democratic India.

“With the kind of deep-seated religious divisions that currently plague India, it is critical that people of all faiths in India work toward peace, communal harmony and economic development. India can ill afford another long term trauma like the one it has faced over the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the campaign to build the Ram temple at the site”.

The fight against extremism — in all its forms, whether religious, left-wing or hard right — needs to be waged not only in the hideouts of terrorist leaders and militant commanders, but also in the corridors of political power, university campuses and in the media. Because the battle may be a lot closer to home than we realize.

Rev. Joseph D’Souza is the founder of Dignity Freedom Network, an organization that advocates for and delivers humanitarian aid to the marginalized and outcastes of South Asia. He is archbishop of the Anglican Good Shepherd Church of India and serves as the president of the All India Christian Council.

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