Sangh temple gets Gujarat Govt's nod

Sangh temple gets Gujarat Govt's nod
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

GANDHINAGAR, DEC 21: In a complete turnaround of its stand, the Gujarat government today decided to withdraw its circular banning religious programmes coinciding with festivals of other communities in the State and allowed the VHP-sponsored shilanyas ceremony for a Ram temple to be held tomorrow near a church at Halmodi village in Surat district. Ironically, this came on a day when the Gujarat High Court directed the government to take all possible steps to maintain peace in the state.

The authorities granted the permission for shilanyas on a piece of land 200 metres away from a prayer hall of tribal Christians in the village. The land is part of a three hectre plot belonging to one Ukabhai Kokani, who had earlier converted to Christianity but reportedly returned to Hindu fold last year causing tension in the area.

In return for the ban being lifted, said home minister Haren Pandya, the government had obtained a `verbal assurance' from Sangh Parivar leaders that the Hindu Jagaran Manch would cancel itsproposed Christmas Day rally at Ahwa.

However, a VHP statement issued in Ahmedabad said the ``public programme'' of December 25 has been ``postponed''. Asked if this meant the programme would be held on a later date, VHP joint general secretary Jaideep Patel said, ``I will tell you on December 23, after the shilanyas programme tomorrow.''

Today's decision followed a series of closed-door meetings over the past few days on the Dangs issue between senior ministers, including Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel and Pandya, and VHP leaders Pravin Togadiya and Dilip Trivedi.

At the press conference where he announced the decision, Pandya sought to justify the government's stand by saying the circular had become redundant as the Ahwa rally and dharma sabha on Christmas Day had been cancelled. The circular, he added, ``may have been hurting religious sentiments".

Incidentally, as recently as December 15, Pandya had told reporters after a cabinet meeting: ``There is no question of the ban being lifted.'' Pandyaevaded a straight answer to a specific question on what prompted the government to withdraw the circular despite its consistent assertion to the contrary. "Our ultimate aim is to ensure that no violence breaks out during Christmas and that the festival is celebrated in a peaceful atmosphere in the State. We are prepared to ensure this at any cost, even by withdrawing such a circular".

Moreover, said Pandya, the decision was taken only after the programme was ``endorsed by local Christians'' and by a "unanimous" resolution adopted at the December 17 meeting of the Halmodi village panchayat. To a query, the minister said the permission was conditional, with the organisers being told that they could not act in a manner that could hurt the religious sentiments (of local Christians). They would also have to cooperate with the authorities to maintain law and order during the proposed temple ceremony in the village. To this end, guarantee bonds have already been obtained from local leaders of bothcommunities.

In Ahmedabad, a Division Bench of Gujarat High Court comprising Acting Chief Justice C K Thakkar and Justice D P Buch of Gujarat High Court directed the State government to take all necessary steps, including the appointment of two observers, to maintain peace and protect minorities between December 21 and 26.

The order was passed on a petition filed by Samson C Christian, joint secretary of the United Christian Association. Later, Minister of State for Home Haren Pandya named Hasmukh Hadia of the Finance department and P K Poojari of the GAD as government observers to Surat and Dangs.

In the order, the judges said S N Shelat, additional advocate-general of Gujarat, had stated that in no case would any religious rally other than that taken out by Christians be permitted by the State Government on December 25.''