No date set for temple at dharam sansad

By Neena Vyas

ALLAHABAD, JAN. 20. It was not a bang but a whimper. There was no announcement at the `dharam sansad' here of a date for the start of construction of a Ram temple at Ayodhya. There was no threat to occupy by force the land acquired by the Centre in and around the disputed site.

After all the hype, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad-led `dharam sansad' adopted a resolution today, warning ``all relevant organisations'' to ``remove all hurdles in the way of the construction of a Sri Ram temple at the Ramjanmabhoomi by March 12, 2002, the day of Mahashivatri.''

It was a climbdown that left many VHP cadres disappointed. But the leadership has worked out a programme to keep them busy - chanting of the name of Ram is to be organised in villages from November 26. From September 18 to October 16 jalabhishek is to be offered in temples. A `sant yatra' (procession of sadhus) to be taken out from Ayodhya to Delhi between February 18 and 25, 2002 will serve notice on Parliament and the Government to remove hurdles to the temple construction.

For the last two days the VHP leadership had been saying a firm date for the start of construction of the temple would be announced. But apparently, a strong message from the RSS and the BJP to do nothing to destabilise the Vajpayee Government spoilt the broth that was cooking in the VHP pot. In addition, at a meeting with the Puri Sankaracharya, Nischalanand Saraswathi, yesterday, the VHP leadership was forced to give him an assurance that no date would be announced without consulting the Sankaracharyas if the VHP wanted their ``blessings''.

The Puri Sankaracharya indicated today that he might call a meeting of the most respected dharmacharyas, vallabhacharyas, nimkacharyas, ramanadacharyas, madhavacharyas and others on January 22 on the Kumbh Mela grounds here to discuss the issue. The Sankaracharya of the Jyotishpeeth and Dwarkapeeth, Swaroopanand Saraswathi, and the Kanchi Kamakotipeeth, Sri Jayendra Saraswati, would be part of this meeting, he indicated.

The Puri Sankaracharya said if the `sants' were to fix a date for the start of construction of a temple, that ``right'' would naturally be that of the Sankaracharyas whose peeths are the oldest established religious maths.

The `dharam sansad' witnessed only thin attendance by the sadhus and `mahants.' The `pandal', where it was held, was crowded mostly by VHP and Bajrang Dal workers.

The Puri Sankaracharya also said today that the proposed meeting of dharmacharyas had been advanced from January 24 to January 22, as January 24 was a big bathing day at the Mela and the dharmacharyas would be busy with their rituals.

`VHP not interested in politics'

Earlier, Mr. Praveen Togadia, VHP general secretary, told the press that what the VHP wanted was legislation from the Government to enable the building of the Ram temple, as was done for the Somnath temple.

Mr. Togadia claimed that the VHP was not interested in politics. ``We do not care who gets the crown and who loses it,'' he said in response to questions on the consequences for the Vajpayee Government if they were to start the construction of the temple.

PM refuses to comment

PTI reports from New Delhi:

The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, today did not respond to media queries on the Dharam Sansad setting a deadline for removing all obstacles to the temple construction.

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