KANCHEEPURAM: The Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal, on Thursday commented that only a solution born out of a directly-negotiated settlement between the Hindus and Muslims, would have a lasting impact on religious tolerance, more than any other solution hammered out by a court or the executive of the political process.
Meeting a few journalists of the print media, the pontiff said he was supremely relieved to know that the Allahabad HC verdict on the six decade-old Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute did not trigger any violent incident across the country. That the Swamigal himself was apprehensive of an impending violence throughout Thursday was evident when he revealed that he had retained the driving licence of his driver who drives the “Pillayar Rath” that currently goes throughout villages of Kanchee puram district “to promote peace and religiosity among the Hindus.”
The Pontiff opined that the representatives of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Sunni Waqf Board, the Nyas (of Nrthya Gopaldas), different Mutt leaders, Shankaracharyas and Hindu nationalist leaders should sit together to iron out a peace deal during the interregnum of the 90 days to the run up to the now inevitable appeal to the Apex Court, so that a political solution could be avoided.