Settlement hopes alive

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In a gesture that could write a new chapter in the Ayodhya story, Mohammad Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant in Ayodhya title suits, on Sunday met the Nirmohi Akahara chief Mahant Gyan Das.
The two discussed possibilities of an out-of-court settlement on the issue.
Talking to reporters later, Mr Hashim Ansari said that he favoured dialogue between the concerned parties before the issue is challenged in the Supreme Court.
“There is a possibility of arriving at a settlement since both parties are aware of the possible consequence if the matter goes to the top court. Besides, it will only prolong the issue instead of solving it,” he said.
Mahant Gyan Das, however, refused to comment on the issue but said that the meeting was held in an extremely cordial atmosphere.
The meeting between the two — both parties in the title suit case — comes after the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court, on September 30 gave a verdict under which the disputed land is to be divided into three parts with each of the parties getting one-third share.
The meeting was held at Hanumanghari, famous Lord Hanuman temple near the makeshift temple on the disputed site.
Waqf board counsel Zafaryab Jilani, however, said he was not aware of any such move.
The waqf board had said they would challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court.
The Nirmohi Akahara, a Vaishnavite sect among the Hindus, has been given one-third of the disputed site in Ayodhya by the Allahabad high court in its majority verdict on Thursday.
The other two-thirds portion has been given equally to be shared by the Wakf board and the side representing Ram Lalla.
The Nirmohi Akhara’s share will include that part which is shown by the words “Ram Chabutra” and “Sita Rasoi” in the outer periphery of the site.
Soon after the verdict, Mr Ansari had called for burying the dispute and making “a fresh start”, a view shared by 84-year-old Mahant Bhaskar Das of Nirmohi Akhara.
Mr Jilani said he had spoken to board chairman Zafar Ahmad Farooqui who denied that Mr Ansari had been asked to initiate any talks.
“Farooqui told me that he cannot authorise a person without consulting the board members,” Mr Jilani said.