LUCKNOW: Possibilities of fresh confrontation over the Ayodhya holy shrine claimed by Muslims as Babri Masjid and by Hindus as the Ram Janma Bhoomi, have increased following reported failure of the Union Home Minister, Mr. Buta Singh to bring about an “out of court settlement.”

A tripartite meeting proposed after Mr. Buta Singh held discussions separately with the Coordination Committee of the Babri Masjid movement and the Ram Janma Bhoomi Mukti Yagya Samiti has now been abandoned as” ‘no meeting ground” could be found.

March

The UP Babri Masjid Action Committee appears to have finally prevailed upon the Coordination Committee which had to reiterate its resolve for Ayodhya march on October 14 and give an understanding that no decision henceforth would be taken arbitrarily.

The rift between the Coordination Committee led by Mr. Syed Shahabuddin and the UP Babri Masjid Action Committee led by Mr. Maulana Muzaffar Kachachauchvi, surfaced over the postponement of the mini march to Ayodhya on August 12.

The Action Committee at its meeting held here on Monday reviewed the situation and decided to cooperate with the Coordination Committee in its program for the march on October 14.

The UP committee at its meeting held under the chairmanship of Mr. Kachchauchhviu, decided to meet again after October 14 and finalize the date and venue of the proposed all India conference. The decision seems a threat to have a parallel organization if the postponed.

The meeting according to its convener, Mr. Zafaryab Jilani, would decide the future course of action “as no settlement of the Babri Masjid issue appears possible out of the court” because of what he described as “defiant and most unreasonable attitude of the Ram Janma Bhoomi Mukti Yagya Samiti and its allied bodies.

‘Checking squads’

The UP committee also decided to constitute ‘checking squads’ in and around Faizabad district to provide “protection” to Muslims reaching Faizabad on October 13 and 14 for the march.

Mr. Syed Shahabuddin, has appealed to the state government to provide protection to Muslim marchers to Ayodhya.

An invasion

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal are determined not to allow Muslims to march to Ayodhya and prevent them from their places of origin. The march, according to them, would be “an invasion.”

The Ram Janma Bhoomi Mukti Yagya Samiti has also announced its plan to raise a grand temple complex at the Ram Janma Bhoomi soon after the Kumbha fair is over.

Article extracted from this publication >> October 7, 1988