Supreme Court Reserves Order On The Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid Title Dispute

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The Supreme Court  in its ruling has reserved its order on the issue of referring the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case to the court-appointed and monitored mediation for a permanent solution. The court asked the parties concerned to suggest the name of a mediator or panel of mediators.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said, “We intend to pass the order soon.”

The bench, which also comprised Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SA Nazeer, had told the parties, We’re seriously giving a chance for mediation.”

During today’s hearing, Justice Bobde said, “It’s about sentiments, about religion and about faith. We are conscious of the gravity of the dispute.

“There need not be one mediator but a panel of mediators. When the mediation is on, it should not be reported on. It may not be a gag, but no motive should be attributed to anyone when the mediation process is on,” he said.

Justice Bobde said, “We have no control over what happened in the past, who invaded, who was the king, temple or mosque. We know about the present dispute. We are concerned only about resolving the dispute.”

“We are not concerned about what Mughal ruler Babur had done and what happened after. We can go into what exists in the present moment,” the bench said. The apex court is considering whether the dispute can be settled through mediation. The top court had asked the contesting parties to explore the possibility of amicably settling the decades-old dispute through mediation, saying it may help in “healing relations”.

On February 26, the bench had said, We have suggested to the parties that during the interregnum a court-appointed and court-monitored mediation with utmost confidentiality could be initiated to bring a permanent solution to the issues raised in the cases.

Even if there is only one per cent chance, it should be explored,” Justice Bobde had said emphasising for mediation in the matter.

While Muslim side and Nirmohi Akhada from the Hindu side in the case agreed for mediation, the counsel appearing for deity Ram Lalla Virajman, Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha and Mahant Suresh Das were opposed to it saying court-appointed mediation had failed on earlier occasions.

Fourteen appeals have been filed in the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya be partitioned equally among the three parties — the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.