Hyderabad: As Ayodhya celebrates the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir, there is the acknowledgement of the contributions of two Malayalis from Kerala in realising the long-cherished dream of devotees spanning over 500 years at the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi. These Malayalis are remembered for their role in the culmination of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir project, marking a significant moment in the history of the temple's construction.
KK Nair, who was the District Collector of Faizabad in 1949, and archaeologist KK Muhammed marked their involvement in finding the remains of the temple at the Babri masjid site. Karingamannu Kuzhiyil Muhammed was the regional director of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and he found the remains of the temple at the Babri masjid site. During one of the excavations in 1976-1977 under the supervision of Professor BB Lal, archaeologists found that the structure of the mosque was erected on pillars of the temple.
The team also found engravings of Hindu deities, however, the findings were kept as a secret till 1990. In 1990 KK Muhammed issued a detailed statement with proof that the masjid was built on the remains of a temple. According to sources, after the finding of the idol inside the mosque, there was an uproar. Given this, the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru asked Uttar Pradesh CM Govind Ballabh Pant to remove the idols. However, respecting the public sentiments, the then DM KK Nair did not obey the Prime Minister's order citing the possibility of riots.
The Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute persisted in the legal system for many years. Several court cases followed, with Hindu and Muslim factions vying for territory ownership. In addition to allocating the contested land for the construction of the Ram temple, the Supreme Court's final decision in November 2019 also provided an alternate plot for the construction of a mosque.
Kandangalathil Karunakaran Nair was then suspended from his service and reinstated following a favourable court order. However, he resigned from his job and started practising as a lawyer. Born in Kuttanad village of Alappuzha, Kerala on September 11, 1907, Nair went to England for higher education after completing his basic education. Returning from there, he cleared the Indian Civil Services examination at 21. KK Nair died on September 7, 1977, in his home district.
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