As a true believer in the divine forces, Sri Sri has been continuing his efforts for an amicable solution on Ayodhya. Hope that the politicians do not interfere in this sensitive issue.
Even in Mahabharata, Krishna tried all his efforts to forge peace between warring factions, but the evil forces did not allow that. It is the conflict among people, which brought in the concept of court to settle issues nonviolently. If we can eliminate the root of the conflict, we need not require a court. Continuing his efforts to mediate between the two sides in the Ayodhya dispute, Art of Living Founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar felt that the talks were going on in the right direction and expected a break through with an out of court settlement for the pressing problem of this country.
He made his mind clear and suggested an out-of-court settlement to the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute. He reiterated that efforts are still on and moving towards success. There are good responses from all ends. And there is hope of ending this ethnic problem.
Great efforts by Sri Sri Ravi Sankar! If this is settled amicably, then it could pave the way for much needed healing between the two religions. We hope to overcome our worries and help Ram devotees to build their desired temple. And it would be even lovelier to see Hindus build a grand Mosque for Muslims that would erase out Babri Masjid rivalry. And what would be even more wonderful is for Hindus to pray at the mosque, and Muslims to pray at the temple. As the great Kabir said, Allah and Ram are One!
It would therefore be appropriate for the protagonists of the temple and mosque construction at Ayodhya that for the sake of peace and inter-religious harmony, they must come together to cooperate to construct a national monument of peace, love and inter-religious harmony at the disputed site, where people belonging to all castes, creeds and faiths, will be welcome for prayers and meditation. This monument can also have basic facilities of a library and research centre for the benefit of all pilgrims of peace.
As for the “Ram Mandir” and “Babri Masjid”, let the same be constructed by the devotees as magnificent edifices adjoining the “National Monument of Peace”, which would not only vindicate their faith in peace and inter-religious harmony, but would also conform with the “national sentiment.
The Supreme Court conveyed its clinical approach to the 70-year-old Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute, exhorting the parties on either side of the fence to treat it merely as a land issue. Indicating it would not be swayed by the history of religious conflict and violence associated with the Ayodhya site it must be treated this as a land issue and nothing else.
Hope Sri Sri Ravi Shankar can bring a breakthrough of the wisdom and fairness of allowing the Ram temple to be built on the disputed site. Discretion and wisdom are the better part of valour.
Nickhil Mani
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
