Closing in on Mr Q
The Bofors gun scam gets another twist with the arrest of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi. For the CBI, struggling with investigations, the arrest is a feather in its cap.

God's Advocate
With delay built into the court battles being fought over the ownership of Ayodhya's famous site, the VHP turns on the heat.

Fifth Column
by Tavleen Singh
Abuse of Power

Politically Correct
by P. Chidambaram
Releasing the Genies

Right Angle
by Swapan Dasgupta
Weariness of Ayodhya

Fast Food Chain

Call of the Party

More...

India Today Anniversary

Vajpayee and Advani have to play a balancing act with the VHP

December 3, 2000
Opposition demands chargesheeted ministers should resign.

December 6
Vajpayee says Ram temple is expression of national sentiment.

December 14
Lok Sabha rejects motion demanding resignation.

December 19
Rajya Sabha disagrees with Vajpayee's remarks.

December 20
RSS chief tells Liberhans panel a bomb may have razed the mosque.

January 19, 2001
VHP's Dharma Sansad to set construction date.

WHAT IS WHERE IN AYODHYA

Ram Reckoner
THE LEGAL STATUS

• Four title suits being heard by Allahabad HC. Issue: was it a mosque or a temple in 1949?

• Of the 300-odd listed witnesses, about 200 are dead and 17 have given evidence.

• First suit filed in January 1950 before Faizabad court. In 1989, all suits taken over by HC.

BUILDING PRESSURE

• The VHP plans to build a 268.5 ft by 140 ft temple, which includes the 40 ft by 60 ft disputed site.

• The VHP says it should be allowed to begin work away from the mandir-masjid site.

• Muslim groups want VHP to exclude disputed site from its blueprint.

Disputed site. Title case on since 1950. Being heard by HC.

Hindus can worship the Ram idol from behind barricades and after being frisked at three points.

Ram idol. Till 1992 under dome. Now under tarpaulin.

67 acres: Includes the disputed site. The area was acquired by the Centre in January 1993. The VHP wants some land released for initial construction.

54 acres: Land in possession of Uttar Pradesh government since 1980s. Given by BJP regime to VHP in 1991 on perpetual lease. Now with Centre.

2.77 acres: Most of the land was bought by VHP. Some was owned by Muslims, others. BJP government acquired it all in 1991 but a year later HC nullified this. Land now with Centre.

The VHP wants to begin work on four gopurams (gateways) on the 67 acres now with the Union government.

MetroScape
Where Words Were King
Katha celebrated its 10th year with "Worlds into Words, Words into Worlds", an international interdisciplinary conference on the short story.
more...

Looking Glass

Delhi: Art Show

Bangalore: Retreat

Bangalore: Restaurant

Forget endology, writes INDIA TODAY Senior Editor S. Prasannarajan. Celebrate 2001, celebrate the future in
Locomotif.

The 80th birthday do of a social reformer shows how the lives of entire communites in coastal Gujarat have changed for the better. INDIA TODAY Principal Correspondent Uday Mahurkar reports in Despatches.