Uncertainty looms over date of Ram temple construction

LUCKNOW: With the UP government banning public gatherings till June 30 in wake of coronavirus pandemic, uncertainty shrouds the date of construction of the proposed Ram temple in Ayodhya even after lockdown ends.
Sources in Ram Janambhoomi Teerath Kshetra Trust said, since temple construction would entail mobilisation of labour and gathering of hundreds of kar sewaks, the auspicious day cannot be spelt out till the Centre and state government clears the air on lifting curbs on mass gatherings. This comes just four days before the scheduled bhoomi pujan at the Ram Janmabhoomi site on April 30 and five months after Supreme Court ruled in favour of temple construction.
The trust had also planned to invite PM Modi for the bhoomi pujan.
“We need to review restrictions even after lockdown ends,” said a Trust member, Anil Mishra, while speaking to TOI on Sunday. However, sources said, Dusshera could be a probable date for beginning temple construction. “A decision has been taken unanimously by the trust, which needs to call a meeting and decide accordingly,” said a trust member.
Sources said, the trust was also not in a position to call a meeting of the construction committee headed by former principal secretary to PM Modi, Nripendra Mishra. The meeting was scheduled in first week of April, but was cancelled due to the lockdown.
Sources in VHP, which spearheaded the Ram Temple movement, said the pandemic has indefinitely stalled construction.
“Building the Ram temple is different from other construction activity, which can be carried out in a controlled manner. Here, hundreds of Ram Bhakts would throng the temple town for kar sewa. The VHP has been mobilising masses by resorting to crowd funding the ambitious project, which changed the political discourse of the nation.

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