A recent order by the Allahabad High Court regarding the conversion of a mosque into a temple. It raises important questions about the role of the judiciary in legitimizing such attempts and the need to uphold the constitutional vision of secularism.
The Allahabad High Court has ruled that a set of suits 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 that the old suits are not barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which invalidates legal proceedings that may lead to altering the status of any place of worship as it stood on August 15, 1947.
The court has held that the Act is not applicable as the "religious character" of the structure is yet to be determined.
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.
This approach may drive modern society into a revanchist mindset seeking to avenge medieval depredations.
The 1991 suits seek a declaration that the main part of the site is a mosque and want the mosque administrators to remove all their religious effects.
The court has chosen to treat the suits as maintainable and not barred by the Places of Worship Act.
The court has upheld the order for a survey of the premises by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and asked for the ASI survey done on the basis of the 2022 suits to be used for deciding the 1991 suits.
The court claims that the dispute raised in the case is "of vital national importance", which is concerning as it is a judicial institution adjudicating between two parties.
The judiciary should stay committed to the constitutional vision of secularism and enforce the statutory bar on converting or reconverting the status of places of worship.
The recommendations made by Raghuram Rajan and Rohit Lamba in their book about India's economic future. It talks about the need for India to focus on exporting high-end services instead of trying to build its manufacturing sector. The article also highlights the mismatch between skills, jobs, and incomes in India and the need for inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Raghuram Rajan and Rohit Lamba recommend that India should focus on exporting high-end services instead of building its manufacturing sector.
India has been trying to build its manufacturing sector for the past 30 years, but with poor outcomes.
Insufficient jobs and incomes are a major issue in India's economy.
The mismatch between skills, jobs, and incomes is hindering India's growth.
India invested in world-class institutions of science and engineering, such as the Indian Institutes of Technology, but this has not generated enough decent jobs for the masses.
Economist Adair Turner warns that economists' models are leaving out too much reality to explain the world.
Economic theories developed by analyzing numbers miss the process of "learning" and development.
Citizens need to learn new skills and increase their incomes, while nations need to acquire new capabilities.
Agricultural workers need jobs that are close enough to their capabilities to take the leap and continue increasing their skills.
"Adjacencies" in work and location in rural areas are the best steps for climbing the skill-income ladder and creating economic activity.
Manufacturing and value-added services can be carried out in rural areas and around farms, in small, labour-intensive, and low-capital enterprises.
Economic growth must become inclusive and sustainable for India to achieve its GDP targets.
India cannot neglect its small-scale and informal manufacturing sector any longer.
Investing in education and skills for "high end" manufacturing and services will not benefit the masses if they cannot be employed.
The Indian state has limited financial capacity and cannot afford to misspend it.
More imports will not increase the well-being of Indian citizens if they do not have more incomes to buy.
Foreign direct investment will not boost growth if it does not increase employment soon.
Policymakers need to reimagine the path for India's growth and focus on inclusive economic growth.
India's policies should take advantage of this opportunity and promote domestic production to create more jobs and increase incomes for the masses.