Above: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Art of Living founder had claimed that All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Nirmohi Akhara approached him to play peacemaker in the Babri Masjid title suit

Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has been embroiled in a controversy. The spiritual guru’s claim that he had been approached by members of the board and the Nirmohi Akhara to play as a mediator for finding an out-of-court resolution to the ongoing Babri Masjid-Ram Janmbhoomi title suit that is scheduled to be heard in the Supreme Court on December 5 has been denied by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).

Ravi Shankar, according to India Today, had claimed that though the mediation process hadn’t started yet, he was willing to “play that role”.

A report in the Hindustan Times had, while quoting anonymous sources, said that Ravi Shankar had met representatives of Nirmohi Akhara and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) to discuss the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmbhoomi title suit earlier this month in Bengaluru.

Interestingly though, the AIMPLB isn’t even a party in the title suit. Although the personal law board does enjoy substantial influence over religious and personal matters related to the Islamic community, the Muslim side in the title suit is represented in court through the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board and some members of the Babri Action Committee.

“Some people came and met me, that’s all. There is positive energy with everybody and people want to settle the issue. If I need to play that role (mediator), I am willing to do that,” Ravi Shankar was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.

However, as reports of him having agreed to play the mediator began gaining the traction, the Art of Living founder spoke to media agencies and gave the impression that there was some substance to the arbitration rumour, even though such an attempt was legally not feasible as the matter is already listed to come before the Supreme Court for hearing on December 5.

However, Ravi Shankar’s claims appeared to either be false, or at least a misrepresentation of what may have actually happened.

On Saturday, members of the AIMPLB as well as the Babri Action Committee claimed that no official discussions had happened from their side with Ravi Shankar over the mediation proposal, although the Nirmohi Akhara did confirm to the Hindustan Times that one of its representatives had met the spiritual leader asking him to play mediator.

The Babri Action Committee, in fact, said that the mediation offer had come “long back” from Ravi Shankar’s side but that no progress had been made on it.

Haji Mehboob, a member of Babri Action Committee, said: “Long back one of Ravi Shankar’s aides called saying he wants to talk with me and I welcomed it. Maybe he had a conversation with the Hindu representatives but he never talked with us nor had he sent us any message… If he wants to talk to us we will talk as we have no problem with having a conversation with anyone who wants to find a solution.”

Denying Ravi Shankar’s claims, Zafaryab Jilani a key member of the AIMPLB and also counsel for the Uttar Pradesh Central Sunni Waqf Board in the title suit, told mediapersons: “The position of the board is very clear on this (the title suit)… a solution is possible only through adjudication, and not mediation. There have been no attempts by the board to meet Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. We have a meeting of lawyers on Sunday (October 29) in Delhi to prepare for the hearing on December 5. So there is no merit or legal value to any such proposition (of Ravi Shankar acting as a mediator,” Jilani said.

—India Legal Bureau