The mood in the temple town of Ayodhya changed from expectation to uncertainty to concern, all in a matter of hours as news filtered in Thursday afternoon of the Supreme Court deferring the verdict in the Ayodhya title suit by one week.
The governments in the states and at the Centre, who were apprehensive of the verdict’s adverse fallout on the fragile peace, might have collectively breathed a sigh of temporary relief at the stay order, but the people of Ayodhya are desperate for closure on the decades-long dispute which has taken a toll on their lives in more ways than one.
The town was calm, but the subliminal tension in the air was noticeable. Though most people went about their daily chores like they would on any weekday, the overbearing presence of paramilitary personnel and the heavy security cordon that was thrown in and around the town presented an intimidating picture to residents and visitors alike.
Mohammad Hashim Ansari (90), the oldest living petitioner in the Ayodhya title suit, believes the high court should be allowed to deliver its verdict without further delay. All the other dramatis personae in the case are either dead or ageing, but Mr Ansari has not given up hope, just yet. He says the matter should be buried to rest in Lucknow, and not taken to Delhi, suggesting that the high court judgment should be acceptable to all and neither side should file an appeal before the top court against its verdict. I want the matter to end, but some people want it to linger, he told this newspaper.
Mahant Ram Das of Nirmohi Akhara, on the other hand, maintains that he is hopeful of a positive outcome from the top court when it hears the plea for deferment of the judgment next Tuesday. In a conversation with this newspaper, he desists from committing whether negotiation or reconciliation would be explored in the interim; he would rather leave it to the civil society to determine the best course of action.
However, the Sunni Central Waqf Board, for one, is understood to have voiced its reservations on the likelihood of a compromise. It has argued that it is too late in the day to discuss a compromise formula.
Nevertheless, Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, the noted Shia cleric and vice-president of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), has kept open the door for reconciliation. He has spoken of two options for an amicable, negotiated settlement of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue, which he would first discuss within the AIMPLB and later with a broader cross-section of the people.
As the battle for the future of Ayodhya is fought in the courts in Lucknow and now in Delhi, life has been a roller-coaster ride, emotionally and in countless other ways, for the ordinary people of this town. The unrest has affected the small traders the most, who find it difficult to survive because of the diminishing numbers of tourists.