Author:
Publication: The Free Press Journal
Date: June 4, 2002
The Shree Rama Janmabhoomi Punaruddhar
Samiti (SRJPS) floated by the Shankaracharya of Jyotish peeth and Dwarka
Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, on Monday rubbished the temple-mosque dispute
at Ayodhya and demanded that the spot be officially declared as 'the birthplace
of Lord Rama', reports PTI.
"The firm belief of his holiness
(the Shankaracharya) is that the real issue is Ram Janmabhoomi and not
the dispute over the temple and mosque," the secretary and spokes man of
the seer, Anand Swaroop Brahmachari told a press conference here.
Stating that the temple and mosque
could be built anywhere but the birthplace could never be shifted, the
Brahmachari said "the absence of the structure will not take away the sanctity
of the Ramjanmasthah."
The dispute, he said, needed to
be solved with the active support and cooperation of all communities and
in a conducive atmosphere of trust, love and peace. "We appeal from this
forum to all concerned to settle the issue amicably forgetting our political
and religious difference and keeping in mind the ideal of Vasudaiva Kutumbakam
(global fraternity)," he said.
Asserting that the samiti would
abide by the court verdict on the dispute, brahmachari regretted that since
the much-hyped shiladaan programme there was no sign of a temple being
constructed on the site.
Brahmachari lashed out against the
government for the overbearing presence of para-military personnel at Ayodhya,
alleging that the holy city had been turned into a ghost town.
"When the border situation is so
volatile, how can the government afford to maintain such a large presence
of security forces at Ayodhya?" he asked.
The Samiti also expressed willingness
to hold parleys with all parties, including the Babri Masjid Action Committee
to solve the dispute.
