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Central emissary receives 'shila'; Ayodhya breathes easy
By Anjali Mody

The Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas president, Ramchandradas Paramhans, handing over a carved stone of the proposed Ram temple to Shatrughan Singh (right), an envoy of the Prime Minster, at the Dighambar Akhara in Ayodhya on Friday. - AFP

AYODHYA, MARCH 15. The much-publicised ``shila daan'' ended peacefully here today at the Digambar Akhara, more than a km away from the acquired undisputed land, amid the chanting of Vedic hymns.

Two carved stone slabs were handed over by the Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas chairman, Ramachandra Paramhans, to Shatrughan Singh, who heads the Ayodhya Cell in the Prime Minister's Office, at the ``akhara'' under heavy security cover.

Mr. Singh was specially flown in from Delhi to monitor and supervise the ``shila daan'' ceremony.

And, ironically, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's ``shila puja'' and ``shila daan'' campaign ended with its working president, Ashok Singhal, being shouted down by the couple of hundred supporters who had collected around the `karsevakpuram' compound this morning. The gathering _ of ``sadhus,'' indigent ``pujaris'' and ``mahants'' and a handful of young men _ said it was incensed at having been ``tricked into accepting a deal which fell far short of expectations.''

The ``deal'' involved the ``puja'' and the ``daan'' being performed at the Digambar Akhara, of which Paramhans is the ``mahant,'' and is located just a few hundred metres from the VHP's temple workshop. The VHP supporters were expecting that they would reach the disputed site or court arrest.

The ``deal'' was the Paramhans' second climbdown. The ``mahant,'' who, on March 14, declared that he would ``kill'' himself if not allowed to perform the ``puja'' on the acquired land, agreed to perform it outside the acquired land in Ram Kot Mohalla today. He would then proceed to the disputed site for a ``darshan'' at the makeshift Ram temple, he had declared.

But, a few hours later, as the procession, permitted by the administration in violation of Section 144 of the Cr.PC, traversed the 500 metres from the ``karsevakpuram'' to the ``akhara,'' Paramhans fell in line with the administration's decision to end the procession and perform the ``puja'' and ``daan'' right there. The ``daan'' of the two Dholpur stone slabs was received not by the Faizabad Divisional Commissioner, A. K. Gupta, as announced earlier, but by Mr. Singh.

Packed inside the front courtyard of the ``akhara,'' angry men jostled and shouted at Mr. Singhal, drowning the chanting of ``mantras'' which accompanied the brief ``shila puja.'' Mr. Singhal, standing atop his white ambassador, pleaded with the crowd to calm down, but it shot back, ``this is just politics, has the VHP taken money to do this?'' Mr. Singhal and Paramhans, from the top of the steps leading to the ``akhara,'' tried to direct the crowd to pay attention to them in vain. Eventually they were both hustled into cars and escorted, along with the slabs, by the Additional District Magistrate and the City Superintendent of Police to Dashrath Mahal just outside the acquired land. Here, the slabs were placed ritually for the public to see. They would be transferred to a safe place by the local administration, Mr. Singh said.

Mr. Singhal maintained silence on the day's events. It was Vinay Katiyar, BJP MP from Ayodhya and Bajrang Dal leader, who admitted that the VHP's campaign had not gone ``according to its plan.'' And that some things had gone wrong.

The person who appears to have played a significant role in handling the unpredictable Paramhans and seemed happy to take credit for the peaceful culmination of the drama was Navnit Saigal, a civil servant from Uttar Pradesh and former District Magistrate of Faizabad. Paramhans credited him with saving the Vajpayee Government and the ``maryada'' of the VHP.

Though the entire exercise was peaceful, there was an incident of stone-throwing. The security forces resorted to lathicharge in the Hanuman Garhi area, where some local residents from the Digambar Akhara were prevented from reaching the disputed site.

Ayodhya itself seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as the procession and ``puja,'' restricted to the back street linking ``karsevakpuram'' the VHP workshop and the Digambar Akhara, ended.

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