BARHAIN: The Congress I President Rajiv Gandhi, has said parties to the Temple Mosque dispute in Ayodhya should try to resolve it among themselves amicably “failing which the verdict of the court must be awaited”.
Asked by a Dubai Based English daily whether the Ayodhya issue might seriously rupture India’s traditional and friendly relations with the Islamic states, the former prime minister said “as the country with the second largest Muslim population in the world, there is no question of India distancing itself from Islamic states.
“What is essential is that the media, in these countries ensures that fair and accurate information about these sensitive matters is conveyed to the readers,” he said.
“In fact, in the face of a grave challenge to our secular tradition in the Masjid Mandir dispute the bulk of the secular forces in the country who incidentally include an overwhelming majority of the majority (Hindu) community, have stood as a rock with the minorities to prevent any desecration of the 16th century Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.
“This is a point that needs to be understood and appreciated in the Gulf and west Asia generally,” he added.
Gandhi blamed the “irresponsible policy of drift” adopted by the previous government for the current communal passion in the country. This policy, he said set the stage for communalists of all shades to have a field day.
Asked what prompted his Congress I party to support Shekhar he said “we were persuaded that democracy such as ours must be saved the enormous expense—and wear and tear on our democratic fabric of holding elections when these are not due.
Expressing hope that the new government would serve its full term, Gandhi said there was no question of his party withdrawing its support to the new government “and there is no reason to suspect that our trust in them will be abused.”
Meanwhile, former union minister and Congress I Secretary Chandrajit Yadav quit the party.
It was “a matter of regret that you stood in favour of these vested interests”, Yadav said in his letter to Gandhi.
On the Babri Masjid issue, Yaday said the congress (I) had given a fillip to communalism by allowing the Shilanayas (foundation laying ceremony) for Ram Temple in Ayodhya in November last year.
He said he was fighting for the implementation of Mandal commission recommendations since 1980 and had met the then prime minister Indira Gandhi, along with 50 MPs in this regard and had organised many conventions.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 23, 1990
