The Hindu : How the Shankaracharya brokered the `breakthrough'

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Wednesday, Mar 06, 2002

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How the Shankaracharya brokered the `breakthrough'
By Harish Khare

NEW DELHI, MARCH 5. The Shankaracharya of Kanchi has managed to make the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) give not one but two written undertakings. First, the already publicised one is that the VHP will abide by the court verdict. This in itself is a major climbdown because, so far, the `sadhus' and `sants' have refused to admit a role for the court in a matter of ``faith.''

More significantly, it is learnt that the VHP has also given a written undertaking that it would abide by the court judgment even if there was an ``adverse'' verdict over the ``disputed'' area. In the second written commitment, the VHP has undertaken to provide, honestly and sincerely, access and right of way in case the final verdict restored the ``disputed'' site to the Muslims.

Apparently, when the VHP leaders sought the Shankaracharya's help in sorting out the Ayodhya dispute, the Acharya wanted to know from them how they could keep invoking the name of ``Maryada Purshottam Ram'' and still refuse to recognise the jurisdiction of law. As the Acharya understood, Lord Ram was the embodiment of the rule of law. He made it clear that his good offices would be available only if he could be assured that the VHP was willing to undertake the requisite commitment. Only after this plain-speaking did the VHP leaders agree to the ``court jurisdiction'' formulation.

The Shankaracharya also made it clear to the ``mandir'' proponents that he was not ``mediating'' between the VHP and the Government. As the religious leader of the Hindu community, he believes that he had a higher and exalted status than the assorted `sants' and `sadhus'; he could always direct the VHP leaders to take a particular course, and in case they remained intractable, he would not hesitate to appeal directly to the Hindu community at large.

It was only when the VHP leaders agreed with the Shankaracharya line, it became possible to make the Muslim leadership consider some kind of a proposal for resolution of the Ayodhya dispute. The Prime Minister's Office also became involved only after the VHP leaders agreed to the idea of a ``legal'' framework of the dispute.

The story of the ``breakthrough'' began more than six months ago when the VHP brass went to Kanchi to brief the Acharya about the grand `sant sansad' decision ( taken at the Maha Khumb mela) to start `mandir' construction from March 12. The Acharya, who had just returned from a tour of the north, told the VHP leaders that he was distressed to find so many temples in a dilapidated state and nobody seemed to care for them. Ticking off the `mandir' enthusiasts, he told them that he saw no need for one more temple and, in his view, there should be a 10-year freeze on temple construction of all kinds.

This perspective got conveyed to the powers that be in Delhi and some initial thought was given on how the good offices of a respected religious figure could be tapped to find a ``solution''. But other distractions, especially after September 13, intervened. No more was heard of a possible Kanchi role till the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, met the Shankaracharya a few weeks ago.

Whether today's ``breakthrough'' can be carried forward would depend upon the willingness of the Muslim Personal Board; but, it would still require some kind of judicial endorsement even if the two sides were agreeable to an ``out-of- court'' proposal. This is perhaps the first time that a religious functionary has sidelined the claims and pretensions of the communal leaders to speak in the name of Hindu community. But, curiously enough, before the Muslim leaders agreed to formally interact with the Shankaracharya, they wanted to know whether his ecclesiastical prestige was also backed by any temporal voices; hence, the involvement of a former President and a former Chief Justice of India.

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