Hindu seers push for ordinance or law on Ram temple

A congregation of Hindu seers here on Sunday demanded that the government bring an ordinance or a law for construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya, stressing that even the courts have to respect the "public sentiments".

The two-day meeting that ended on Sunday also charted the future course of action for rallying public sentiments through a number of large public meetings over the next two months in various cities including Ayodhya, Delhi, Bengaluru and Nagpur.

"The seers have declared - either bring a law or an ordinance for building Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. We agree to both conditions," Swami Jitendranand Saraswati, National Secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti that organised the event, told the media.

"In a democracy, public's mandate is a major factor. If people's opinion can make a government, then to form the public opinion (towards our cause) we are ready to do rallies and public meetings," he added.

On the question of the matter being sub-judice in the Supreme Court and the apex court scheduled to hear it in January next year, the seer said that when "public sentiments are roused, courts across the world take up matters overnight".

"The government makes a system. The courts' job is to interpret the law, not to make it," he added.

Spiritual Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said it was important to be "sensitive towards the public sentiment" who want a grand Ram temple built at Ayodhya.

"The entire seer community has three options before it, first is that of talks. We should continue talks. Second is that we wait for the court's decision, and request it to dispose off the matter at the earliest. The third option is that we speak to the government to take some step in this regard," Sri Sri said.

He said it was not the seers who needed a temple but the common people.

"The seers do not need a temple. They have a temple wherever they sit. It is the public who want that a grand Ram temple be built. They have this hope. We should be sensitive towards their hopes," he added.

--IANS

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