Seers oppose UP govt's proposal to erect Lord Ram's statue on the banks of Sarayu
Varanasi, Nov 27 : A three-day "Param Dharma Sansad" was held in Varanasi, where seers opposed the Uttar Pradesh government's proposal to install a 221-metre statue of Lord Ram on the bank of the Sarayu river in Ayodhya.
Terming the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP) "Dharma Sabha", organised on November 25 in Ayodhya, as a "politically-motivated event", Dwarka-Sharda and Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati said Lord Ram should not be politicised, adding that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could only erect statues, but not build a Ram temple in Ayodhya.
"The government can only erect statues, not build the temple," he said, addressing the gathering at the event held at Seer Govardhan from November 25 to 27.
He said the government erected a huge statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat, but there was a need to build a temple for Lord Ram, not erect his statue as he was not a human being.
Opposing the Yogi Adityanath government's proposal to install a 221-metre statue of Lord Ram on the bank of the Sarayu, the Dwarka Peeth seer said it was an inappropriate step which was also against people's faith.
Advocating the cause of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, Saraswati claimed that no mosque ever existed at Lord Ram's birthplace in Ayodhya and that the structure demolished by "karsevaks" in 1992 was a temple and not a mosque.
He said it was a propaganda that the Babri Masjid existed at the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi site. He even said that he had seen with his eyes that a Ram temple existed in Ayodhya.
Saraswati claimed that the Muslim community had failed to furnish any proof in the high court to confirm the existence of a mosque on the disputed site.
The Dwarka Peeth seer said no political party would ever build the Ram temple but politicise the issue. He also claimed that the government was preparing to bring a law to encroach upon religious sites.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Good beginning, talks to proceed: Manipur CM on meeting with Kuki Zo Council delegation
Imphal (PTI): Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh on Sunday said his meeting with a Kuki Zo Council delegation was a "good beginning" at restoring peace in the state and rebuilding trust between Meiteis and Kukis.
A day after holding the closed-door meeting with the delegation in Guwahati, he told reporters here that "the talk between the Kuki Zo Council (KZC) and the state government for the first time in nearly three years is a really good thing".
"The talks will proceed," the chief minister said.
More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023.
The KZC, in a statement on Sunday, said the meeting commenced at 7 pm on Saturday and lasted around 1 hour and 45 minutes. The interaction was largely an ice-breaking session, it said.
Addressing the media on Sunday, the chief minister said, "In Manipur's situation, the most saddening part is that internally displaced persons (IDPs) are unable to return to their native homes..
"What is of utmost importance for their return is to rebuild the trust between the two communities. How long can central forces keep on guarding the population in some places? What is required is for the communities to forget the conflict and rebuild trust," Singh said.
Informing the reporters that the issue of IDPs of both sides returning to their places featured in the talks, the chief minister added that "at least we need to have a good beginning".
"I would like to thank the Kuki Zo Council for accepting the invitation for talks. We held the talks with the objective of bringing peace..
"My appeal to all is to restore peace and proceed with the concept of forgive and forget. My approach is bringing peace and building trust. There is no demand or commitment," Singh said.
Responding to media queries on the demand for a separate administration, he said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already announced that the territorial integrity of Manipur would remain intact.
As to the buffer zones terminology, Singh said, "There is no buffer zone for the government. During talks, I refer to it as a sensitive zone. Since there is no trust, security forces engage in checking at such sensitive zones..
He, however, asserted that "now is not the time for any kind of confrontation. If we want to bring peace, we must work honestly and more importantly, we must not focus on someone said this or someone said that".
The Kuki Zo Council, on the other hand, said that its delegation raised several key issues during the meeting in Guwahati on Saturday, all of which were attentively heard by the chief minister.
"Prominent among these (issues raised) were the urgent need to de-escalate the ongoing tensions between the Kuki and Tangkhul communities, and the imperative of ensuring justice for the victims of the conflict as a fundamental prerequisite for any meaningful peace and reconciliation process," it said.
The delegation also emphasised the importance of maintaining the sanctity of the buffer zone until a political settlement is reached and stressed the need to expedite a resolution to the ongoing Suspension of Operations talks to ensure durable and lasting peace in the region, the KZC statement said.
"The chief minister, in turn, shared his concerns, commitments, and the steps undertaken by his government in restoring peace and normalcy in Manipur. He expressed high appreciation for the KZC's initiative and its bold step in engaging with him during this challenging period," it said.
