KChief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, recently spoke about the interplay between faith and judicial decision-making during a felicitation event in his native village, Kanhersar. He recounted his personal moments of reflection before a deity, seeking divine guidance on the protracted Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute.
During the event, CJI Chandrachud revealed, “There are times when we handle cases but struggle to find a solution. A similar situation arose with the Ayodhya dispute, which was before me for three months. I sat before the deity and told him that he must show us the way.” He emphasized the impact of faith in his life, saying, “Believe me, if you have faith, God will always find a way.”
The legal journey of the Ayodhya case has been long and complex. In 2010, the Allahabad High Court’s verdict divided the contested land into three parts among the Nirmohi Akhara, the deity Lord Ram, and the Sunni Waqf Board. This decision was stayed by the Supreme Court in 2011.
A significant moment came in 2018 when a three-judge bench decided against referring the case to a larger Constitution Bench, setting the stage for the Supreme Court’s eventual judgment in 2019 under then-CJI Ranjan Gogoi. This ruling allowed for the construction of the Ram Temple at the disputed site and allocated land for a mosque elsewhere in Ayodhya, marking the end of a century-old conflict.
Notably, CJI Chandrachud was a part of the bench that issued this landmark ruling. Reflecting on the verdict, he spoke about the integration of his judicial responsibilities with his spiritual insights, underscoring a rarely discussed aspect of his personal approach to such contentious cases.
In July 2023, the CJI also visited the newly constructed Ram Temple in Ayodhya, engaging directly with the site that had been central to his professional and personal deliberations. The visit was symbolic, connecting the judicial narrative with the communal and cultural sentiments attached to the site.
The Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony in January 2024 further culminated the religious aspirations associated with the temple, with notable figures like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in attendance. The ceremony was marked by traditional rites and public celebrations, highlighting the temple’s cultural and religious significance.
