Tazeem Haider | India Tomorrow
New Delhi, March 9— In the court and outside, Muslim organizations have generally accepted the Supreme Court’s initiative for mediation to resolve the decades-old Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute while making it clear that such attempts have failed in the past. What is the view of the common Muslims on this issue? India Tomorrow talked to people to know what they think as solution to the dispute and what their expectations are from the mediation panel.
Most of the people interviewed said they expect the mediation committee that its decision is based on evidences and as per the constitution of the country.
Mohammad Aslam Sheikh, a gem stone merchant in the Jama Masjid area, says: “I request the three-member committee to keep in view the law and the constitution of this country and whoever has the evidences, the decision should be in their favour.”
Nadeem Akhtar, also a shopkeeper, said: “This is my request to the three-member committee that without any discrimination of Hindu-Muslim, the decision should be according to the constitution of this country. The Constitution must be respected”.
The Supreme Court of India on Friday ordered mediation to resolve the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title suit. The five-member Constitution Bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice S.A. Bobde, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice S. Abdul Nazeer has also appointed a three-member panel under the chair of retired judge of Supreme Court Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifullh. The other two members of the panel are Sri Sri Ravi Shankar from Art of Living and Senior Advocate Sriram Panchu. The panel has been asked to start work within one week, submit interim report in four weeks and complete the proceedings in eight weeks. The mediation will take place in-camera and in Faizabad.
Aijaz Ahmad says “In the ongoing issue of Babri Masjid, the three member committee should keep in view the evidences that we (Muslim Community) do have. They should give the decision according to the constitution of the country.”
Mohammad Yasir says: “The three member committee which has been formed should keep in view the points of both Hindus and Muslims and give its decision based upon evidences”.
However, there are some others who either want reconstruction of Babri Masjid on the site or construction of a mosque and a temple.
For Zaheer Ahmad, “There should be no dispute and Babri Masjid should be reconstructed”.
But Dilshad, who works at an embroidery shop, says: “In this dispute between Hindu and Muslim, there should be religious places of both communities. I think this is the best solution”.
