Men of God have to respect the law
Why Ravi Shankar’s mediation efforts can’t work miracles
W hen people start taking themselves far too seriously, they start believing that they can work miracles, do things that others can’t, sometimes even things that they themselves shouldn’t be doing. Consider Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who has appointed himself mediator-in-chief in the Babri masjidRam Janmabhoomi case that is currently before the Supreme Court.
On Monday, he said the Supreme Court order will not solve anything, offering a rationale for his efforts to get involved in the issue. This is a strange comment for several reasons. One, it is contempt of court (Indian judges have usually reacted strongly to more innocuous comments than this one). Two, all parties to the dispute have so far maintained that they will accept the court’s verdict. Three, neither Hindu nor Muslim groups have been receptive of Ravi Shankar’s offer to mediate (the Vishva Hindu Parishad has said it will have none of it). It isn’t clear what Ravi Shankar’s locus standi in the case is – unless, as a man of God, he sees himself as someone not bound by boundaries that define a person’s right to get involved in an issue. It is also not clear whether Ravi Shankar, who knows Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah, has the government’s tacit support. The government hasn’t said so; nor has the BJP. Both are clearly waiting for the court to rule on the issue. The BJP has said a Ram temple is on the agenda but that the path to it will be through a court verdict, a settlement, or dialogue. For now, it has preferred to wait for the court to take a call.
Ravi Shankar’s efforts to find a resolution could end up being counterproductive. His argument that neither side will accept a verdict from the highest court that goes against it is as frightening as his near-flippant dismissal of the sanctity of court orders. This goes against the very essence of the Constitution. There are other pressing issues that need attention from the good guru (who has also tried his hand at solving the Kashmir imbroglio). As for Ayodhya, he should wait for the court’s decision. Men of God have to respect the law too.