Varanasi court order on Gyanvapi frames a challenge that lies outside the court too (13 September)

Over time, shrine politics – its culmination the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 – has been enmeshed with narratives of nationhood and Hindu self-pride that frame Muslims as outsiders. As the legal battle continues in higher courts, it must not be forgotten that the crux of the matter lies in politics, rather in law.