By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
A month after the Shia Waqf Board tried to step into Babri Masjid-Ram Janmbhoomi dispute by declaring itself as one of the parties, members of the board met Hindu parties of the case and yet again urged the formation of Ram Temple at the disputed site.
On Eid Ul Adha, Syed Wasim Rizvi, the director at Shia Central Waqf Board, was in Ayodhya to meet Mahant Suresh Das, one of the parties advocating the construction of Ram Temple at the disputed site.
The meet, which was done in the presence of the press, lent support to the construction of Ram Temple at the disputed site. Rizvi also asked for the construction of mosque but at a resonable distance from the Ayodhya in some Muslim dominant locality.
Rizvi also said that since Babar was a “cruel Mughal emperor”, the mosque should not be named after him. He proposed the name “Masjid-e-Aman” for the mosque.
Since the formation of the new government in Uttar Pradesh, talks, rumours and negotiations have accelerated in reference to Ram Janmabhoomi. Several trucks loaded with stones have already reached Ayodhya in past few months and they are already being carved in the Karsewakpuram.
The meeting on Saturday was followed by another meeting on Sunday when Rizvi met Bhaskar Das and Dharm Das of Nirmohi Akhara, which is one of the parties in the same case, and Suresh Das of Digambar Akhara. In this meeting too, both sides mutually agreed and embraced the construction of Ram Temple at the disputed site.
While Rizvi and the board are intervening in the matter in a personal capacity, the matter is currently under hearing in the Supreme Court of India. And as the matter is sub-Judice, the Sunni Central Waqf Board does not hold any influence in the issue.
A few days ago, Sunni Waqf Board’s chairman Zafar Ahmad Faruqi had condemned the practices of Rizvi and claimed that the Sunni Central Waqf Board is ready for mediation and talks but only with the original parties. Shia Waqf Board had also submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court asking to be one of the parties in the case, which the court refused.
With Rizvi’s intervention in the case, a dispute historically seen as Hindu vs Muslim is turning into Hindu us Sunni vs Shia case. However, this development will please Hindu parties in the case as Santosh Das welcomed Rizvi’s remarks and said that if Muslims are supporting for temple construction, what could be more pleasing in the case.
About the meeting, Rizvi told TwoCircles.net, “The only peaceful solution to the whole problem is that Muslims should welcome the construction of Ram Temple at the disputed site. Otherwise, there will always be a conflict between Hindus and Muslims.”
Rizvi, who is accused of creating differences among Shias and Sunnis, said, “Muslim population in Ayodhya is considerably low, and I think there are enough mosques for them in Ayodhya. Shia Waqf Board understands the need of a mosque, but that should be built at a far distance from the temple in a Muslim dominated locality.”
For Rizvi, the Sunni central waqf board does not hold any position in the case and stresses over the Shia Central Waqf Board as the main party.
He also said, “There are few ‘terrorist-like, ‘traitors’ and ‘Pakistan-funded’ Mullahs and Imams live in this country, who does not want a peaceful resolution in the case.”