Sandesh Prabhudesai
17 October 2000
"The whole Sangh Parivar is united on the issue of construction of Ram temple and it would begin its construction as per the directives given by the Dharm Sansad", announced Vishwa Hindu Parishad working president Ashok Singhal today.
On the eve of the two-day kendriya margadarshak mandal (central advisory committee) meeting beginning in Goa from tomorrow to decide on the date of Ram temple construction, Singhal said the dharmgurus would take their own decision in this regard.
The crucial Goa meet would be preparing a proposal, which would be ultimately finalised at the Dharm Sansad scheduled to be held in Prayag in January, hardly three months away. "The VHP is always guided by the Dharm Sansad", said Singhal.
While declining to provide any clues regarding the proposed date for the temple construction at a press conference held at a city beach resort here, Singhal said : "have patience for only two days and it would be known to everybody.
Though he referred to the VHP, RSS and even the Dharm Sansad as the members of the Sangh Parivar, Singhal however preferred maintaining silence over the BJP being part of it. "No political party should interfere with this issue since it is not a political movement", he quipped.
Though it was earlier told that the meeting would also discuss the issue of seeking permission from the centre to begin the temple construction, Singhal today said the dharmgurus and acharyas have never been taking permission from anybody for the religious work, 'like construction of the temple'.
Recalling the tradition of rishis and sant running the state of affairs and guiding the rulers right from the days of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna, Singhal felt that all the governments in independent India should also run as per the advise rendered by them.
While expressing deep concern over the Baptist church in the North Eastern region threatening sovereignty of the country by supporting militant liberation movements, he however did not agree that the temple construction would threaten the secular fabric of India.
"Who knows what is secularism ? It is neither defined by the constitution nor by the government. You first define it and then we will talk about it", said Giriraj Kishor, another VHP leader, who was also present on the occasion.
Stating that secularism means primarily respecting all the religions, Singhal said the threat posed to Hinduism in the light of conversions being carried out by the Christian church would also be discussed seriously at the two-day summit.
Informing further that the construction of the Tehri dam would stop the holy river of Ganga flowing for minimum three years, the VHP chief felt that no dharmguru could tolerate it. The meeting also plans to chalk out a strategy in this regard.
Your Comments Please
