HVK Archives: PM chants Ayodhya peace mantra
PM chants Ayodhya peace mantra - Economic Times
Binov Shorms
()
21 June 1996
Title : PM chants Ayodhya peace mantra
Author : Binov Shorms
Publication : Economic Times
Date : June 21, 1996
EFFORTS have been initiated by the United Front
government, led by Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, to
bring about an amicable end to the Ayodhya tangle.
Sources close to the Prime Minister say he is keen that
the long-festering crisis should end during his term in
office. "He wants to repeat Hubli in Ayodhya," said a
Janata Dal leader from Karnataka.
Emissaries of the Union government met important
religious leaders from both communities last week and
elicited their views on the government's proposal for a
peaceful solution to the dispute. Sour say the Prime
Minister's effort to bring both sides to the negotiating
table are being spearheaded by his close confidante and
minister for civil aviation and tourism, C M Ibrahim, and
some media persons purportedly close to the United Front.
A four-point formula has been proposed in principle to
help solve the dispute: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)
would not participate in the talks. A new set of Hindu as
well as Muslims leaders, who believe that the problem can
be solved without bloodshed, would sit together and
formulate a peace mantra. Efforts would be made to rope
former prime minister Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee into the
talks. The government feels that if the talks on Ayodhya
have Mr Vajpayee's sanction, moderate Hindus would be
more amenable to accepting a solution. The reference to
the Supreme Court under Article 138 (2), which would be
binding on both the parties, would go against any party
if it were to oppose the verdict of the court.
The Muslim leadership has traditionally been sceptical of
the VHP's attitude. They think that reviving talks would
only help the BJP return to its belligerence over the
disputed site. They say that in 1991 when the Ayodhya
talks were revived, the VHP snapped it midway before a
solution could be found.
Sources say that the government has been toying with
various formulae to bring this tangle to an end. A
proposal that has gained considerable ground is the
acceptance by moderate Muslims of the fact that it is
virtually impossible to re-construct the Babri masjid at
the disputed site. There is also a proposal to build a
Ram Temple away from the present site, shift the idols to
the new temple and leave the destroyed structure as it
is.
Sources feel that the Muslim leadership would not have
much objection to it as the complex has been under the
control of the Hindus since 1949 with the idols inside.
Namaz has not been performed in the masjid, and a Shariat
rule says namaz has not been performed for more than 13
years the place cannot be called a mosque.
This theory has been vehemently denied by the Muslim
clergy. Says the Naib Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid, "This
is not true. There was a milar case in Lahore's
Shahidganj Gurdwara, but the Muslims restored its glory
and namaz is being performed now. Another case in point
is the Qartaba Masjid in Spain which was liberated after
800 years of subjugation."
The moderate leadership in the Hindus as well as the
Muslims feel
that the extremists on both sides are not interested in
talking or in a solution; they just want the conflict to
drag on. Sources say extremists fear that an amicable
solution to the dispute would render them 'politically
redundant'.
The UF government wants to seek a peaceful out-of-court
settlement for the tangle because it fears that any
verdict by the court would generate considerable heat in
the group that stands to lose out, now that the ruling
under 138 (2) would he binding on both parties. Earlier,
under Article 143, the case would have been different.
The government's effort seems to be to preempt the VHP
and the BJP, who have made it clear that the court should
not intervene in matters of faith.
A section of the Muslim leadership led by the convenor of
the All India Babri Masjid Action Committee (AIBMAC),
Zafar Ayab Jilani and Syed Shahabuddin, have also opposed
the goverment's move to refer the dispute under 138 (2).
The Naib Imam says, "Only the court can give a decision
now. The hearing in the High Court should be expedited
and the ruling given as soon as possible... Even if we
lose in the High Court we can go to the Supreme Court. We
have clinching evidence in our favour. We will win the
case."
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