Lucknow: Various Muslim organisations, including All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Muslim league and Dargah Ala Hazrat of Bareilly, on Friday rejected the resolution passed by a forum of Muslim intellectuals here on Thursday.
Notably, in a fresh bid to find an amicable ‘out of court’ settlement of the vexed Ayodhya issue, a group of Muslim intellectuals under the aegis of ‘Indian Muslims for Peace’ exhorted the Muslim litigants to relinquish their claim on disputed 2.77 acre land and hand it over to Government of India as a ”goodwill gesture” to Hindus.
The forum came out with this suggestion in state capital on Thursday and claimed that it would also submit its proposal to Justice Kalifulla-led mediation panel which was set up by the Supreme Court but its efforts failed to bear fruits.
Reacting to the resolution of the forum, while senior advocate and member AIMPLB, Zafaryab Jilani reiterated the earlier stand of the body saying a huge population Muslims were awaiting Supreme Court’s verdict in the vexed issue.
“We will go only by the SC verdict. These intellectuals should clarify if they are batting for the Muslim side or representing the government over the issue,” Jilani who represents the Muslim parties in SC and is also the convenor of Babri Masjid Action Committee, said.
Even the Muslim litigants including Iqbal Ansari and Haji Mehboob said that they were awaiting the court’s verdict and would go by it. However, the main mufti of Ala Hazrat Dargah in Bareilly, Ahsan Miya also advocated the apex court order in the case.
While some Muslim organisations including Muslim League and Muslim Majlis even went to the extent of accusing the forum of having a tacit understanding with Hindus. Earlier, on Thursday, the forum, which had former Aligarh Muslim University vice-chancellor, Lieutenant General (Retd) Zameeruddin Shah, as its chief guest, also suggested that the apex court, which is currently conducting day-to-day hearing in long-pending issue, to come out with a clear verdict.
Notably, the Supreme Court is in the last leg of hearing which is scheduled to be concluded on October 18. Exhorting the Muslim community to give up claim on the land to let the communal harmony prevail, the forum comprising engineers, doctors, retired judges and former bureaucrats, had UP Sunni Waqf Board during the deliberations.
It decided to send its resolution to Sunni Waqf Board which is a party in the litigation and also All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) which is expected to meet in Lucknow on Saturday. “In our collective wisdom, the disputed land owned by Muslims of India may be handed over by Supreme Court to the government of India as a goodwill gesture for peace and harmony,” read the resolution.
Meanwhile, Lt Gen (retd) Zameeruddin Shah said that though the forum had no stake in dispute it wanted to act as a pressure group and make Muslim parties have wisdom and accept its resolution. “I was not part of this group, but got involved after Sunni Waqf Board invited me,” said the former AMU V-C.
Retd Lt Gen Shah also said that strife led only to animosity and unrest. “Ayodhya dispute should be resolved outside the court. I also want the Supreme Court to give a verdict in favour of the majority community to end the dispute forever,” Shah asserted. “Under the current scenario, even if the SC decision favours Muslims, they will not be able to build a mosque there as a functional temple is already present at the site.
So they should amicably hand it over to Hindus,” he added. “The court verdict will be in favour of either party (Hindus or Muslims). This will lead to an acrimonious relationship between the two communities,” he said and added that the Sunni Central Waqf Board also agrees with his viewpoint.
Former ADG of CRPF, Nisar Ahmad, who was also part of the forum said it was a politico-religious issue and both communities were being pitched against each other in the name of religion. “In communal strives only common man dies and not the leaders. So no one should let the court judgement impact their life,” he added.
Retired IAS officer Anis Ansari felt that Muslims should be allocated another piece of land away from the disputed site to build a mosque in Ayodhya.
While emphasizing that the government is the rightful custodian, the forum put some riders to its resolution.
The conditions included –
1. Speedy trial and punishment to the person who was involved in sacrificing Babri mosque on December 6, 1992;
2. Status of no other Muslim or any place of worship be disturbed as of August 15, 1947;
3. Permission should be granted for the proper upkeep of other mosques, imambadas and shrines in Ayodhya;
4. Permission to offer namaz at mosques under ASI’s protection;
5. The punishment under the Place of Worship Act -1991 is three months and it should be raised the minimum to three years and maximum to a life sentence.