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Indian Muslims ready to look at Hindu proposal

India's main Muslim body opened discussions yesterday about a proposal by a Hindu leader to solve an explosive religious dispute over the ruins of an ancient mosque in the northern town of Ayodhya.

The executive committee of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) convened in Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh state where Ayodhya is also located, to discuss three proposals by Hindu religious leader Swami Jayendra Saraswati to resolve the dispute over the piece of land on which a 16th-century Babri mosque once stood.

Saraswati's proposals, which have not been officially confirmed, would have the Muslims cede the Ayodhya land to Hindus in exchange for a parcel 5km away upon which a mosque would be built with government assistance.

Muslims would also be allowed to pray at 100 mosques nationwide that are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and Hindus would abandon claims in similar temple-mosque disputes at Kashi and Mathura cities in Uttar Pradesh.

His second option was for both a mosque and a temple, separated by a body of water, to be built on the piece of land whose ownership is currently a matter before a court that has ordered archaeologists to excavate the site.

If neither of those options is attractive to both sides, Saraswati suggest a wall be erected between both houses of worship, which would remain in planning stages only until resolved by the court.

The mosque was demolished on Dec. 6, 1992 by thousands of Hindu zealots who believed it had been built on the ruins of a Hindu temple on the site that marked the birthplace of warrior god Ram.

The demolition prompted nationwide riots between Hindus and Muslims that left at least 2,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.

The Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency, quoting unidentified sources, said the AIMPLB members were considering how to politely reject Saraswati's plan.

Meanwhile yesterday, Ramchandra Paramhans, the architect of the Hindu campaign to reclaim the Ayodha site, was admitted to hospital for a second heart attack, his aide Chotey Mishra told reporters.
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