India PM inaugurates controversial temple while eyeing upcoming elections
A 19th-century dispute, which has gone through decades of court procedures, has finally culminated in the Ram Temple.
Consecrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this temple site is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram, one of the most revered gods in the Hindu pantheon.
The city of Ayodhya in India’s most populous state Uttar Pradesh is all decked up.
Saffron flags, cut-outs of Lord Ram, strings of marigold flowers, decorative lights shaped in Hindu symbols and new paintwork have transformed this sleepy, little rundown town.
Large LED screens display the consecration across the country, while Indian embassies carry it across the world and even on a sponsored screen at Times Square in New York.
Namit Khanna, who has come from Singapore to witness the ceremony, tells Sky News “It’s a civilisation moment that I feel for all of us in India, and it has been a struggle of so many years of our ancestors.”
Rishab Kaushal says: “This is like a different world, the 500-year gap has been completed. We are all so happy. We’ve been given a new festival… Today we’ve been given our Lord.”
Holding her 7-month-old baby, Preeti says: “Our forefathers had died waiting for such a moment. And today we are so happy. And we wish to thank Modi for this, that we can see the temple constructed in our lifetime.”
The temple has been built over an ancient demolished mosque. Pic: AP
Mr Modi is omnipresent. His presence in the temple town cannot be missed and everyone credits him with the construction of the Ram Temple.
While only 8,000 people have been officially invited over 100,000 have converged on the city including Bollywood royalty, industrialists, cultural icons, sportspersons, and diplomats.
According to the Temple Trust, donations have exceeded over 4trn rupees (£38bn), pouring in from far and wide.
Conspicuous of their absence are opposition party leaders who have called the inauguration a political project by Mr Modi and his ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. They will stay away from today’s programme and come another day.
A number of senior Hindu priests and heads of four major shrines, the Shankaracharyas, have also refused to attend on the grounds that consecrating an unfinished temple undermines scripture.
For years the construction of the temple has been one of the most controversial and contentious issues in modern India.
Both Hindus and Muslims have laid claim to the 2.77-acre plot – the size of a football field – on which stood the Babri Mosque since the 16th century. Hindus believe that the Mughal Emperor Babur destroyed an original Ram temple and built the Babri mosque on the exact same spot in 1528.
In 1949, idols of Lord Ram were found in the central dome of the mosque and a large number of Hindus began to pray there. This led to protests by Muslims and the government locked the gates of the mosque, declaring it a disputed site.
In the 1980s, right-wing Hindu organisations and the BJP seized on the Ram Janam Bhoomi Ayodhya movement as a sort of Hindu renaissance. A promise to retake the land and rebuild the temple propelled them into centre stage of national politics.
On 6 December 1992, the Babri mosque was destroyed by thousands of right-wing volunteers who called themselves ‘Kar Sevaks’. The events triggered religious riots across the country in which about 2,000 people, most of them Muslim, were killed.
Subsequently, the site was heavily protected and a series of ongoing court cases by various groups were fought for ownership.
On 9 November 2019 in a unanimous verdict by a five-judge bench, the Supreme Court of India awarded the disputed site to the Hindus, rejecting the Muslims’ claim.
The court said “Archaeological evidence supports an underlying structure of Hindu origin. The Muslim parties failed to establish exclusive possession of the disputed land.”
The court directed the government to give an alternate piece of land to the Muslims, about 25km away in a village called Dhannipur.
Except for a broken razorwire fence, there are no signs of construction at this site.
Sitting on a charpoy on the vacant land, 72-year-old Mohammad Islam tells Sky News: “Look, it was wrong, but we have to live within the confines of the constitution. We have to adhere to it when a decision is right or when it’s not right. But we have to move on for development, let’s leave behind issues of temples and mosques now.”
Mohammad Islam
Shahbaz Khan, a 33-year-old welder says: “Modi is the prime minister of the country, not just one community. We have no issues about the temple, we are happy. But there must be development for us too. The ruling BJP motto is ‘development for one and all’, but we see development is just for one.”
The Ayodhya issue has polarised the country for decades and the rift between the majority Hindus with their 182 million Muslim brethren has widened.
Hinduism is almost 4,000 years old and is the religion of almost 80% of the population. The first Islamic dynasty was established in the 13th century and Muslims constitute around 14% of the population.
Since Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has been in power since 2014 there has been a deepening of social divide and a display of muscular Hindu nationalism that has contributed to religious tensions.
Restrictions on the slaughter and sale of cows (revered by Hindus) have led to vigilantism and the killing of a number of Muslim traders transporting cattle.
Prime Minister Modi is seeking a third term in elections. Pic: AP
Today’s ceremony will be seen as a political victory for Mr Modi and his party and will further consolidate his popularity with the majority.
It will also help him garner more votes for the upcoming general elections due in the summer, which he is widely believed to win.
One hopes that now with the construction of the Ram Temple the country’s deepening religious fissures and animosity between the two communities finally ends.
The US secretary of state has hailed a “tremendous amount of progress” on peace talks after the US and Ukraine delegations met in Geneva – but said that negotiators would “need more time”.
Marco Rubio said the meetings in Switzerland on Sunday have been “the most productive and meaningful” of the peace process so far.
He said the US was making “some changes” to the peace plan, seemingly based on Ukrainian suggestions, “in the hopes of further narrowing the differences and getting closer to something that both Ukraine and obviously the United States are very comfortable with”.
Mr Rubio struck an optimistic tone talking to the media after discussions but was light on the details, saying there was still work to be done.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio in Geneva after peace talks with Ukraine. Pic: Reuters
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Analysis: Rubio strikes an optimistic tone – but is light on detail
“I don’t want to declare victory or finality here. There’s still some work to be done, but we are much further ahead today at this time than we were when we began this morning and where we were a week ago for certain,” Mr Rubio said.
He also stressed: “We just need more time than what we have today. I honestly believe we’ll get there.”
Sky News’ defence analyst Michael Clarke said on the initial US-Russian 28-point peace plan that it was Donald Trump against the world, with maybe only Moscow on his side.
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Is Trump’s plan a ‘capitulation document’?
Mr Rubio praised the Ukrainian attitude towards the talks and said Mr Trump was “quite pleased” after he previously said in a social media post that Ukraine’s leaders had expressed “ZERO GRATITUDE” for US efforts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address on Sunday that there are signs that “President Trump’s team hears us”.
In a news release on Sunday evening, the White House said the day “marked a significant step forward”.
“Ukrainian representatives stated that, based on the revisions and clarifications presented today, they believe the current draft reflects their national interests and provides credible and enforceable mechanisms to safeguard Ukraine’s security in both the near and long term,” it claimed.
Despite diplomatic progress in Geneva the finish line remains a long way off
We’ve witnessed a day of determined and decidedly frantic diplomacy in this well-heeled city.
Camera crews were perched on street corners and long convoys of black vehicles swept down Geneva’s throughfares as the Ukrainians worked hard to keep the Americans on side.
Secretary of state Marco Rubio did not want to go into details at a press “gaggle” held at the US Mission this evening, but he seemed to think they had made more progress in the last 96 hours than the previous 10 months combined.
The Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy also seemed satisfied enough, posting on Telegram that there were “signals President Trump’s team is hearing us” after a day of “numerous meetings and negotiations”.
That said, we are a long way from the finish line here – something Rubio acknowledged when he said that any proposal agreed here would have to be handed over to the Russians.
At that point, negotiations to stop the war would surely get tougher.
President Putin has shown little or no inclination to stop the conflict thus far.
This, then, is the most important reason the Ukrainians seem determined to keep the Americans on side.
European leaders have presented a counter proposal to the widely criticised US-Russian peace plan, with suggestions including a cap on Ukraine’s peacetime army and readmitting Moscow into the G8.
This will only take place if the plan is agreed to by the US, Russia and Ukraine, and the G7 signs off on the move. Russia was expelled after annexing Crimea in 2014.
The counter proposal also includes US guarantees to Ukraine that mirror NATO’s Article 5 – the idea that “an armed attack against one NATO member shall be considered an attack against them all”.
The initial peace plan was worked up by the White House and Kremlin without Ukraine’s involvement, and it acquiesces to many of Russia’s previous demands.
Read more:
Who actually wrote US-Russian peace plan for Ukraine?
In full: Europe’s 28-point counter proposal to US-Russia plan
It covers a range of issues – from territorial concessions to reconstruction programmes, the future Ukrainian relationship with NATO and the EU, and educational reforms in both Ukraine and Russia.
Footage geolocated by Sky News showed Russian soldiers walking through the Shakhtarskyi neighbourhood on the outskirts of Pokrovsk on Thursday.
The video sheds light on the situation in this key frontline area, as Russian forces slowly encroach on Myrnohrad, the satellite town to Pokrovsk, and one of its last remaining outposts.
Videos geolocated by Sky News show fighting intensifying in recent weeks, as Russian forces attempt to gain control of the towns and their network of road and rail intersections.
Gaining control here would give Russia a base from which to access key cities further north that form part of Ukraine’s “fortress belt”.
Russian forces are advancing from all directions, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), with only one small opening to the northwest of Myrnohrad remaining.
Estimated to be only 3km wide by military experts, this withdrawal corridor is patrolled by Russian drone units which monitor the area for moving vehicles and those who may attempt to leave on foot.
Russian forces have been advancing on Myrnohrad since late October.
Video from a Ukrainian unit in Myrnohad, posted on 29 October, shows a Russian vehicle attempting to enter the town from the northeast. The tank is attacked and soldiers attempting to enter on foot are targeted.
Video posted on 3 November shows Russian forces on the ground in the south of the town.
By 8 November, Russian strikes begin to pummel the northeast of Myrnohrad, the location of many of the town’s high-rise buildings, at that time, held by Ukrainian forces.
George Barros, Russia Team & Geospatial Intelligence Team Lead at ISW, told Sky News that Russian strategy in Pokrovsk has been to erode Ukrainian logistical capacity using drones and artillery over the course of several months.
“After denying supply lines and degrading the frontline forces by essentially cutting them off from behind and starving them out in their positions, then the Russians move forward with their infantry and frontal assaults,” Barros explained.
Capture the flag
For a brief period, it looked as though Russian forces had captured Myrnohrad.
Videos posted on 13 November appeared to show a Russian flag flying over the Myrnohrad mine.
However, video posted the following day showed a Ukrainian drone shooting it down.
Both Russian and Ukrainian forces continue to fight for control of Myrnohrad, with videos posted on the 19 and 20 November showing Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian positions in the town, and Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russian forces on foot.
While the exact numbers of Russian and Ukrainian forces in the area remains unclear, reports indicate that three key Russian units are active in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, and are advancing on the towns from the north and south.
A number of Ukrainian units remain inside the towns, including the 145th Assault regiment and the 32nd, 35th, 38th and 155th Brigades. Reports indicate that more Ukrainian units have been moved into surrounding areas to hold the withdrawal corridor open.
Sky News reached out to the Ukrainian brigades still in Myrnohrad, but they declined to comment, citing military regulations.
Strategic significance
Natia Seskuria, associate international security fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), explained that the area is important for the Ukrainians to keep and the Russians to take because of its strategic position.
“Situated at a major road and rail intersection in Donetsk Oblast, Pokrovsk has functioned as a central artery for moving troops, equipment, and supplies to Ukrainian units deployed along the surrounding front.”
Russia “would gain a platform to redirect its offensive efforts toward Ukraine’s principal defensive urban centres… including Kramatorsk and Slovyansk,” Seskuria said.
Read more:
Analysis – Ukraine and its allies are in a perilous moment
Analysis: Europe scrambles at G20 over Ukraine peace plane
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Ukrainian and Russian soldiers in Pokrovsk have fought intensely and at close quarters over the last month.
In late October US-made Black Hawk helicopters containing specialist troops directed by Ukrainian military intelligence entered Pokrovsk to try to keep the town.
But as Russian troops advance, Myrnohrad is becoming the last stronghold of Ukrainian forces in the area.
Uncertain future
At least up until 12 November, there were still civilians living in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, despite strikes on buildings in both cities.
Residents sit in an armoured vehicle as Ukrainian police officers evacuate them from Pokrovske on 11 November. Source: Reuters
A post made on that day by the Donetsk state regional administration estimated 1,200 people remain living in Pokrovsk and 900 in Myrnohrad.
Evacuation is only possible with the help of the military or police, and it is not clear how many have evacuated in the 11 days since.
Barros of ISW says gaining Pokrovsk would increase Russia’s leverage at the negotiating table.
“If the Russians can successfully convince enough international leaders that, okay, the Russians took Pokrovsk, they’re going to take the next thing, and they’re going take the thing, so now let’s negotiate, then that is a strategic victory for the Russians.”
Production by Michelle Inez Simon, Visual Investigations Producer.
The Data x Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.
Torrential rain, flooding and landslides has left more than 100 people dead or missing in Vietnam.
Rainfall has exceeded 74.8in (1.9 metres) in some parts of central Vietnam over the past week.
The region is a major coffee production belt and home to popular beaches, but it is also prone to storms and floods.
Fatalities have been reported in Dak Lak province and the neighbouring Khanh Hoa province.
Parts of Quy Nhon has been under several feet of water. Pic: picture-alliance/dpa/AP
Footage has been released by local police of a dramatic rescue, involving a drone which airlifted a stranded man to safety from an island in the middle of the Serepok River, Dak Lak province.
The government estimates the flooding has cost the economy around 8.98 trillion dong (£260m).
More than 235,000 houses were flooded and nearly 80,000 hectares of crops were damaged, Vietnam’s disaster agency said.
On Thursday, VietnamNet newspaper said that a suspension bridge on Da Nhim River in Lam Dong province had been swept away.
Video footage posted online showed the bridge being swallowed by the river in just a few seconds.
Naval forces have been deployed to help stranded citizens in Khanh Hoa, the Vietnam News Agency reported, adding that floodwaters had reached record highs in many areas.
Photos shared in state media reports showed residents, including children, sitting on the roofs of flooded houses in Khanh Hoa, Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces.
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A seven-year-old girl was rescued late on Wednesday in Da Lat, the capital of Lam Dong province, after being buried by a landslide, the Nhan Dan newspaper reported.
The landslide, triggered by heavy rain, knocked down and buried part of the house where the girl was staying.
She was pulled out after an hour and a half and was taken to hospital with a broken leg, according to the report.
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