Three trusts stake claim for Ram temple construction in Ayodhya

A three-sided fight has erupted between three bodies over the control of the new trust for the construction and the maintenance of the new Ram Temple in Ayodhya, as was ordered by the Supreme Court during its recent verdict on the long-pending land dispute case.

The Supreme Court had on November 9 pronounced its judgement in the land dispute case in Ayodhya, paving the way for the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site. A five-judge bench had directed the Centre to form a trust for the construction of the temple. The court had also ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to give five acre land to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque on it.

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Now, the central government being asked to constitute a new trust, different voices, opinions and claims have come out from different interested parties. Claims and counterclaims have surfaced from at least three quarters who have been involved in the Ram temple movement for over two decades. While a section of priests supported the constitution of a new trust by the government, others claimed exclusive control over the construction of the temple.

The three bodies claiming control of the new trust for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya are Shree Ram Janmbhoomi Nyas, Ramalaya and Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir Nirman Nyas.

From the VHP camp

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)-owned Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Nyas is the oldest trust which was established in 1985. Mahant Nitya Gopal Das of Manidas Chawni is its president.

The trust, since 1990, operates three ‘karyashalas’ or workshops which are involved in making and carving statues. The trust has land worth millions of rupees in Ayodhya and the bank account of the trust boasts of deposits of about ₹8 crore which it got through ‘Shiladaan’, or rock donation programmes.

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Ever since the top court verdict came out, the VHP has been claiming that the temple be made under the supervision of this trust only. “The time has come. Statues are ready in the karyashalas and will be installed in the temple. It is clear that a grand temple will be built soon during the tenure of (Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister) Yogi ji and (Prime Minister) Modi ji. I am the head of this trust and everything will be done under (the supervision of) Yogi ji, Modi ji and me,” Mahant Nitya Gopal Das has said.

Mahant Kamalnayan Das, successor of Mahant Manidas Chavni and member of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Nyas, has said that they were the only ones who fought a long battle for the Ram temple. He says that his trust will build the temple and the prime minister will not form any new trust for its construction. He added that there is no basis at all for any other trust to stake claim for the construction of the temple in Ayodhya.

The Ramalaya claim

After the demolition of the Babri mosque on December 6, 1992, the Ramalaya Trust was formed in 1995 following the efforts of then prime minister PV Narasimha. It was led by the Shankaracharya of Dwarka Peeth Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati and 25 other saints.

Secretary of Ramalaya Trust, Avimukteshwaranand has said that while VHP’s Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Nyas has preparations for the construction of a temple on an area of 2.77 acre only, the Ramalaya is prepared for constructing a grand temple over an area of 70 acre.

He has further said that Ramalaya is not going to seek any sort of donation for the construction of the temple. All four Shankaracharyas and prominent saints of the Hindu samaj are part of Ramalaya Trust, he added. The trust also claims that they would not seek any financial help from either the central or the state government for the temple as its construction does not fall under the ambit of the government.

The Ramalaya claimed that the president of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir Nirmaan Nyas will not oppose their claim as he himself is in the executive committee of the Ramalaya. Meanwhile, the Ramalaya Trust has already written to the prime minister staking claim to build the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Mandir Nirman Nyas head differs

In a contradicting view, Mahant Janmejay Sharan, head of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir Nirman Nyas, says that the Supreme Court in its recent judgement has not named any already-existing trust to carry out the construction of the temple. He says that the construction of a magnificent Ram temple in Ayodhya should be started in an atmosphere of harmony and if the VHP singularly lays claim on this, there will be opposition.

All the trusts were made in the name of Lord Ram and the Ramalaya should also relent, he says. The Mahant has a formula in place as well, according to which, the government should include one member each from all the trusts to constitute a new one and that the government must monitor the functioning of the new trust.

‘A new trust is the need of the hour’

The main priest of the Ram Lalla Virajman, Acharya Satyendra Das says that the Supreme Court has directed the central government to form a trust and therefore, a new trust is the need of the hour. He adds that things will move in a positive direction only if a new trust is in place.

He says that all trusts in the name of Lord Ram should hand over all their property and money collected for this purpose to the government. He bats for a trust for Ayodhya on the lines of the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.

Nirmohi Akhara has its own concern

The Nirmohi Akhara had also been a party to the long-standing land dispute. The Akhara’s Mahant Dinendra Das says that all money, bricks, statues and land collected by different trusts for the temple should be handed over to the government. All these were collected in the name of Lord Ram, he reasons. The priest adds that there will be comprehensive development in and around Ayodhya only if the trust is controlled by the central government.

(Vivek Avasthi is a senior journalist)