Muslim law board meet to discuss Ayodhya issue

NEW DELHI, JAN. 20. The executive committee of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) is meeting here tomorrow to review the situation arising out of the various ``belligerent'' postures of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the RSS and other leaders on the construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya.

``The meeting has been convened to review the situation arising out of various belligerent statements of the VHP and other members of the Sangh Parivar on the construction of Ram temple at the sub judice site at Ayodhya,'' Mr. Kamal Farooqui, a member of the AIMPLB, said.

The meeting is being held in the backdrop of Dharam Sansad meet at the Kumbh in Allahabad to decide the date for the construction of Ram temple.

The 150-member board headed by Qazi Muzahidul Islam Qasmi has been of the view that Babri Masjid is not ``exchangeable or disposable'' stressing that ``once a masjid always a masjid'' it sees no purpose in talks with those who had demolished the masjid, Mr. Farooqui said.

``If at all the VHP and the Sangh Parivar were interested in talks, let them talk to the Central Government for whatever they want. Muslims are waiting for the Supreme Court judgment on the Ayodhya issue,'' he said.

Syed Shahabuddin, a member of the 41-member executive of the AIMPLB and convener of the Babri Masjid Movement Coordination Committee (BMMCC), said the board was the only ``competent'' Muslim body to negotiate on the Babri issue and it was for this purpose that a 15-member committee was appointed in June, 1993.

Therefore, no individual or organisation could speak on the issue, Mr. Shahabuddin said indirectly referring to attempts made by some Sangh Parivar leaders to negotiate with certain Muslim leaders or organisation on the matter.

He said despite all the media hype there had been no contact between the Government and the board or BMMCC on the issue, though there were some leaders of the Muslim community including him who had been searching informally for a ``compromise without surrendering'' the Babri Masjid site.

He said the growing consensus within the community was that in the context of the ``belligerent'' statements by the VHP and other Sangh Parivar leaders, there was no question of any negotiation with it.

But, in principle, if the Government took an initiative ``with something to chew on, and takes effective action to create a conducive atmosphere, the board may agree to negotiate in principle, because there is no contradiction between judicial process and the process of negotiation''.

There is a case for ``revision'' of the mandir site plan leaving the masjid site out, he said and added that no Muslim has objected to the construction of temple in Ayodhya provided the Babri Masjid site is excluded.

Besides Mr. Qasmi, prominent among those attending the meeting include Maulana Sirajul Hasan, Maulana Qalbe Sadiq, Mr. Abdul Karim Parekh, Maulana Sajjad Nomani and Mr. Shahabuddin.

- PTI

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