The Supreme Court today said that the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case will be settled through mediation, and a three-member mediation panel has been formed to meet all petitioners.
The three-member panel includes former Supreme Court judge Justice FM Ibrahim Kalifulla, spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior advocate Sriram Panchu. They will meet all the petitioners in Uttar Pradesh’s Faizabad. Justice (retired) Kalifulla will be the chairperson of the committee.
Who is Justice (Retired) FM Ibrahim Kalifulla?
He enrolled as an advocate on August 20, 1975 after which he began practising law. In 2000, he was appointed judge of the Madras High Court. In February 2011, he became a member of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and was appointed the acting the Chief Justice two months later. In September 2011, he was named Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir.
In April 2012, Justice Kalifulla became a Supreme Court judge. He retired from the Supreme Court in July 2016.
At his farewell function, the then Chief Justice of India T S Thakur said that Justice Kalifulla played a vital role in suggesting the way the BCCI case needs to be taken forward and said he “provided valuable insights”.
Who is Sriram Panchu?
He is a senior advocate based in Chennai, who is founder of The Mediation Chambers, that offers services in mediation. He was appointed as a mediator in the Assam-Nagaland Border dispute and a dispute on the performance of religious ceremonies in Parsi temples, among others. He has been a leading professional in making mediation a part of the legal system. He is also president of the Association of Indian Mediators and director on the board of the International Mediation Institute.
Who is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar?
He is the founder of The Art of Living foundation. In the past, he has held several “unofficial” meetings with Muslims and Hindu parties that are part of the case, intending to bring about an out of court settlement of the dispute.
He had told IANS in an interview last year that, “Because it’s Lord Ram’s birthplace, there is such a strong feeling connected with the place. And since it is not that important place for Muslims and (is) also in a place where there is conflict, namaaz is not acceptable. Anyway, it is not going to serve the purpose; and when it is not serving the purpose of the other community (Muslims), then, it should be gifted.”
