‘Build temple in Ayodhya and mosque in Lucknow’
A grand temple to god RaminAyodhyaanda “masjid-eaman (mosque of peace)” 135km away in Lucknow is the latest proposal made by the Shia wakf boardtoresolveIndia’smostcontentious religious dispute.
Uttar Pradesh Shia waqf board chairman Waseem Rizvi said the suggestion wouldbe forwarded to the Supreme Court, whichwillonDecember5begina final round of hearings to decide the ownershipof2.7-acre piece of land in Ayodhya.
“After discussions withdifferent parties we have prepared a proposal in which a Ram temple will be built in Ayodhya and a mosque can be built in Lucknow,” Rizvi said on Monday.
A Mughal-era mosque, the Babri masjid, stood on the land before it was demolished by a Hindu mob on December 6, 1992. More than 3,000 people were killed in the communal violence that followed the demolition.
Rizvi’sformulafoundsupport among some Hindu leaders andgroupsincludingtheVishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) but was denounced by majority of Muslims. “The proposal has come under pressure (from the BJP),” Shia leader Maulana Kalbe Jawad said.
TheShiaboardisnotalitigant in the case and its position is opposite to that of the Sunni board that claims ownership of the disputed site and rejects Hindugroups’claimstothespot.
ManyHindusbelievethatRam was born where Babur, the first Mughal emperor, built the mosque,whichRizviclaimshasa Shia origin.
Though several peace formulaehavebeenproposed,thisisthe first time a suggestion has come to build a mosque so far away from Ayodhya.
The suggestion is in keeping withShiaboard’sanotheraffidavit to the top court that said a mosque could be built in a Muslim-dominatedareaatareasonable distance from the “most revered place of birth of Ram” in Ayodhya.
Rizvi’s move comes a few days after the Art of Living founderRaviShankarvisitedthe templetowntoexplorethepossibility of an out-of-court settle- ment. He failed to make much headway with both Hindu and Muslim groups questioning his locus standi.
Ram Janmbhoomi Nyas Nritya chief Gopal Das, Mahant Ram Das of Hanumangarahi, adiscipleoflateMahantBhaskar Das who was one of the main litigant, some VHP leaders are among those who backed Rizvi.
How long would people continuetofightovertheissue,Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad’s Mahant Narendra Giri said at a press conference in Lucknow with Rizvi sitting next to him.
“Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya. We will meet all religious leaderstofindapeacefulsolution to the issue,” he said.
Giri said he would also talk to the Sunni board to give up its claimontheland,sayingworkon thetemplecouldbeginfrom2018.
The Supreme Court is to hear challenges to an Allahabad high court order that divided the land between Ram Lalla (baby Ram), Nirmohi Akhada and the Sunni wakf board.
Opponents have accused the BJP of reviving the temple issue through the Sangh Parivar with an eye on 2019 Lok Sabha election.ThepromiseoftheRam temple at Ayodhya has been central to the BJP’s rise in national politics.
TheSupremeCourton Mondaydirectedallstategovernments to make school children awareofthedangersposedbyvirtual dare games like Blue Whale Challenge.
AbenchcomprisingChiefJusticeDipakMisraandJusticesAM Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said school-going children should be made aware about the “beauty of life” and the dangers posed by such games.
Itdirectedthechiefsecretaries of all states to askthesecretaries of the concerned departmentsto take steps in this regard.
The bench also directed the UnionHumanResourcesDevelopmentMinistrytotakerequisite steps to inform all schools in the country about the ill-effects of such games.
Theapexcourtconsideredthe interimreportofacommitteeset up by the Centre to enquire into the suicides committed by students in some states while playing the Blue Whale challenge.
The bench disposed of the petition filed by lawyer Sneha Kalita seeking framing of guidelines to regulate and monitor virtual digital games like Blue Whale and other lifethreatening online games. On October 27 the apex court had askedDoordarshantoproducea 10-minute educational show on the perils of the games. PTI
LUCKNOW: UTTAR PRADESH SHIA WAQF BOARD CHAIRMAN WASEEM RIZVI SAID THE SUGGESTION WOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE SUPREME COURT NEWDELHI: