Temple: RSS working on new offer

The Sangh Parivar may shortly reach out to the Muslim leadership with a significant concession to enable it to come to a negotiated settleme...

The Sangh Parivar may shortly reach out to the Muslim leadership with a significant concession to enable it to come to a negotiated settlement over the Ayodhya issue.

Sources said yesterday that the Parivar, depending upon the response from the other side, would undertake not to launch any mass movement for securing the Kashi and Mathura shrines from Muslims. This would, in effect, mean a no-war pact. The Parivar would thus stick to its basic stand that Muslims should return these shrines to Hindus, but would only persuade and not create trouble.

Though the maintenance

of status quo at Kashi and Mathura is protected by an Act of Parliament, the Parivar assurance would embolden the Muslim leadership to prepare the community for a concession on Ayodhya. The members of the minority community, according to sources, fear that they would be opening the floodgates for countrywide trouble if they give up their claim on Ayodhya.

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There would be no end to similar demands on other mosques. Once they are convinced that the matter would be closed with Ayodhya, they may be willing to forgo their claim over the disputed land.

For the RSS, it is a question of credibility. Once the Ayodhya temple starts coming up, the BJP’s credibility would also soar. The behind-the-scenes efforts aside, the RSS set the ball rolling for a fresh public initiative by making an appeal to the Muslim community on Saturday to come forward for a negotiated settlement over Ayodhya. The appeal came a day after Sarsanghchalak K.S.Sudershan met 150 Muslim intellectuals to discuss Hindu-Muslim issues.

RSS spokesman Ram Madhav said the Muslim leadership should ‘‘move towards an early settlement of the Ayodhya issue in a manner that would create more goodwill and harmony between both communities’’.

Any such settlement, according to him, would be in conformity with the changed atmosphere in the country. He attributed this change to the appeal made by Dar-ul-Uloom, Deoband, to Muslims to refrain from killing cows on Id in deference to the sentiments of Hindus.

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When asked about the RSS stand on Kashi and Mathura, the RSS spokesman said: ‘‘The Hindu community undoubtedly wants them, but the matter can be resolved in the same spirit as Ayodhya.’’ As for the legal bar on any alteration in their status, Madhav sidetracked the issue by arguing that even in the case of Ayodhya, ‘‘we have to go Parliament with any proposal for a solution’’. He pointed out that the disputed land had been acquired.

The RSS call comes after an appeal by Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama for a negotiated settlement of the Ayodhya issue. The Buddhist leader’s appeal was promptly welcomed by Deputy Prime Minister L.K.Advani. However, there was no visible forward movement from the side of Muslims. May be, this time, there would be some.