rediff.com: PM warns against disturbing status quo in Ayodhya

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has warned that if any organisation tries to disturb the status quo in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute in Ayodhya, it will face the consequences of the law.

"I wish to make it absolutely clear that the law will take its course, should any organisation attempt to disturb the status quo. The government will not remain a silent spectator and adopt delaying tactics, as unfortunately happened eight years ago," Vajpayee said in an article for newspapers.

Asserting that the wrongs of a medieval past could not be righted by similar wrongs in modern times, the prime minister said, "The status quo at Kashi, Mathura and other disputed places of worship must remain undisturbed."

"Far from indicating the Hindu society's weakness, this will show the strength of our national ethos of tolerance and religious harmony," Vajpayee said in the article 'My musings from Kumarakom - I' written during his week-long holiday in Kerala's famous backwaters near Kottayam.

Vajpayee said the demolition of the 'structure' in Ayodhya in 1992 was a flagrant violation of the law and totally at variance with the Hindu ethos. "The wrongs of a medieval past cannot be righted by a similar wrong in modern times."

Referring to the controversy on his recent remarks on the temple issue, he said his statement that the movement for construction of a Ram temple at Ayodhya was an expression of the national sentiment was misrepresented in many ways.

"What is overlooked is the past tense that I had consciously used in my statement. In my reply to the debate in the Rajya Sabha, I had clearly stated that although the movement for the construction of a Ram temple at Ayodhya was an expression of our national sentiment, this sentiment became narrow, and its inclusive character became restrictive, because of the unfortunate demolition of the disputed mosque structure on December 6, 1992," he said.

Stating that the Ayodhya issue was another problem from the past that should not be allowed to remain unresolved too far into the future, Vajpayee said, "It is a challenge to the collective wisdom of our society that we find a peaceful and amicable solution to this problem, sooner rather than later".

The prime minister said he had consciously not commented on the issue for the past three years. "However, I am sad to note that, when I was constrained to speak on the subject after the Opposition stalled the proceedings of Parliament for three days in a row, my comments were twisted and turned for no other reason but to gain political advantage."

He said he hoped his comprehensive replies in both Houses of Parliament to the debate on the issue would put an end to the controversy. But it was not to be the case.

"I must confess that I am pained by some of the comments, observations and speculations in the aftermath of the recent developments in Parliament. My political adversaries are entitled to disagree with me, but they will not be able to see any inconsistency in my views on the Ayodhya issue, all of which are well recorded," the prime minister said.

"Overnight I was transformed by a section of the media and the political class from a 'moderate' to a 'hardliner'. 'Vajpayee unmasked' they said, conveniently masking the fact that my long stint in public life is an open book. Worse still, a campaign was launched to create misgivings about me in the minds of our minority brethren," Vajpayee said.

Maintaining that there were only two ways to resolve the Ayodhya dispute -- the judicial route or negotiations leading to a mutually acceptable solution -- Vajpayee said the government would be bound constitutionally by the court verdict, whatever it might be.

"But this does not foreclose the need for negotiations in a non-governmental and non-political framework. The judicial route and the option of talks do not exclude, but are rather complementary to one another," he said.

Stressing the need for creating a conducive social atmosphere for smooth implementation of the court verdict, he said the resumption of talks between representatives of two communities, conducted in an atmosphere of trust, goodwill and flexibility, had the potential to create such an atmosphere.

He cited the current controversy over shifting polluting industries out of the national capital, saying it highlighted the need for a supportive social environment involving all parties to a dispute.

Stating that "the only dispute at Ayodhya was where and how", Vajpayee said his views on this contentious matter had been "clear and consistent" and denied having said that the temple should be built at the disputed site without either a judicial verdict or an amicable agreement between the two communities.

"This is how it should be in a law-governed country. I wish to make it absolutely clear that the law will take its course, should any organisation attempt to disturb the status quo. The government will not remain a silent spectator and adopt delaying tactics, as unfortunately happened eight years ago," he said.


	HOME \| NEWS \| PTI \| REPORT