Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, one of the panel members to mediate on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case had attempted to bring together both communities last year for an out-of-court settlement.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is the founder of The Art of Living foundation. He had held “unofficial” meetings with Muslims and Hindu parties that are part of the case in order 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”.
He had said that if the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the mandir or in favour of the masjid, then “there will be heartburn”.
“So, in either case, there will be discord in society. I want to create a win-win situation, where both communities come together and respect for each is restored, where respect of each is honoured. That is the formula we are suggesting, why not do it?” he said.
According to what Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had mentioned in 2018, “The best solution, according to me, is an out-of-court settlement in which Muslim bodies come forward and gift one acre of land to the Hindus who, in turn, gift acres of land nearby to the Muslims, to build a better mosque. It is a win-win situation in which Muslims will not only gain the goodwill of 1,000 million Hindus, but it will also put this issue to rest once and for all.
“A palak nama (plaque) will recognise that this temple has been built with the cooperation of both the Hindus and Muslims. It will put to rest the issue for future generations and coming centuries,” he had mentioned in a letter.
However, the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had then rejected the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s appeal for an out-of-court settlement to Ayodhya land dispute case by gifting Babri mosque land to Hindus.
In interview with DNA, AIMPLB secretary Jafrayab Jilani had said that during its meeting on February 9 and 10 in Hyderabad, the Board had already decided to go by the Supreme Court verdict in the Ayodhya land dispute case and added that there was no question of any change in its decision. “The appeal through the letter by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has no relevance now when the Board has already taken a decision on the issue and made its stand clear to all stakeholders,” Jilani had said last year.
Jilani said that the Board had also made it clear that once a mosque is built on any land it cannot be handed over to anyone. “We are bound by our Islamic laws and outrightly reject Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s appeal,” Jilani had said in 2018.
On Friday, following the Supreme Court order for mediation and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar being one of the three-member panel, the art of living guru tweeted: “Respecting everyone, turning dreams to reality, ending long-standing conflicts happily and maintaining harmony in society…”, with #ayodhyamediation.
Earlier, on Wednesday, after the Supreme Court heard the Ayodhya case, Sri Sri Ravishankar had said, “We should keep our egos and differences aside and come together with a spirit of honouring and accommodating the sentiments of the communities concerned.”
