Ayodhya: Towards national reconciliation

NEW DELHI - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that once spearheaded Hindutva campaign to drive home their point on Ayodhya issue said on Thursday that the landmark verdict pronounced by the Special Bench of the Allahabad High Court clears the way for a grand temple at the site.



The party that has received a sort of political boost following the court verdict met on Thursday under the leadership of senior leader L.K. Advani and BJP president Nitin Gadkari to finalise its next move. Despite the court ruling putting a moratorium against any structural alteration at the Ayodhya site for 90 days, the BJP said a construction of temple at the 'holy place' would be a welcome move.

The counsel for Hindu Mahasabha, one of the litigants, and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the ruling is based on the fact that the Masjid was not on the site. Quoting from the verdict, he said, "the disputed building was constructed by Babar, and was built against the tenets of Islam, as it did not have the character of a mosque. It was never a mosque."

He quoted the ruling verbatim as saying that "the disputed structure was constructed on the site of old structure after demolition of the same." He said the disputed site is the birth place of deity Ram, and place of birth is a juristic person and is a deity.

The BJP's ideological arm, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, along with many hardline Hindutva groups like Vishwa Hindu Parishad, said the construction of the temple at the site was the only alternative.

Though senior BJP leader Arun Jaitely said that there was still an option of a negotiated settlement with the aggrieved parties and that can be done without moving to the Supreme Court, he accepted that the BJP always favoured construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, and there isn't any policy change in the party's ideology. Zafaryab Jilani, the lawyer for Babri Masjid Action Committee, said he would appeal the decision in the Supreme Court.

"We can hold talks (with Hindus) if any proposals come to us. The court has accepted there was a mosque, but we are not accepting this one-third formula and we are going to the Supreme Court," he told reporters.

The Congress party welcomed the verdict saying the judgement proved that all communities can live together in peace and harmony. "We all have to exist accordingly in the given social structure, and that has been the strength of India's secular diversity," said Congress party in a statement. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too hailed the verdict saying this was the culmination of a long judicial process involving a 'sensitive matter' on which different sections of the people have held different opinions.

In a reaction that was well-guarded as well as optimistic, Dr Singh said "it is my hope that the response of the people of India to the judgement will be respectful, dignified and do our country proud." However, he said the orders delivered by the three honourable Judges need to be examined carefully.

"It has been pointed out by many jurists that complex issues were involved in the suits," he said. "By three separate orders, the honourable Judges have given their findings on each of these issues and, in the operative part, moulded the reliefs to the parties in a particular manner," he added.

"The correct conclusion, at this stage, is that the status quo will be maintained until the cases are taken up by the Supreme Court," said the prime minister. The High Court itself has directed that the status quo as prevailing till date shall be maintained for a period of three months, besides, it has granted leave to appeal to the apex court, he said.

In a statement issued by Prime Minister's Office on Thursday after the verdict, he said that he had "full faith in the people of India." "I also have full confidence in the traditions of secularism, brotherhood and tolerance of our great country. I know that often it is only a few mischief makers who create divisions in our society," he added.

"I would appeal to my countrymen to be vigilant and not let such people succeed in disrupting peace and harmony," he said appealing people to maintain calm. "You should be particularly careful with regard to rumours that disruptive elements could propagate to create ill-will between communities," he said.

However, many Muslim organisations expressed some disappointment but called for reconciliation, resting hopes in an appeal by Muslim lawyers to the Supreme Court in New Delhi.

"The judgment can begin a process of reconciliation," Kamal Farooqi, a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said.

Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh, a social worker in Mumbai said: "Everybody is very happy with the verdict. People were scared but now everything seems to be normal. People are now opening their shops," said.

(Agencies), 1 October 2010,