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DIALOGUE PROCESS SHOULD CONTINUE: PM URGES

    Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee has said that the dialogue between representatives of the Hindu and Muslims communities, meant to assist in an amicable resolution of the Ayodhya issue, should continue.

    "Shankaracharya of Kanchi has initiated a welcome process of talks between representatives of the two communities. This should continue, taking note of the big development in the form of the changed stand of the VHP," he said.

    The Prime Minister made these remarks while interacting with a group of Muslim intellectuals, academicians and professionals at his residence late in the evening yesterday.

    The remarks assume added significance in the light of the decision of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board at its emergency meeting, rejecting the proposal presented by Shankaracharya last week.

    "The recent horrendous communal violence in Gujarat has somewhat lessened the importance of the major shift in the VHP’s stand," the Prime Minister observed. "Earlier they were saying they would not accept the court’s verdict on the disputed site. Now they have given a commitment to honour it. This change has opened new avenues for a speedy and amicable resolution of the issue."

    The Prime Minister urged the people belonging to both Hindu and Muslim communities to strengthen the secular fabric of Indian society. "If India is not secular, then India is not India at all," he affirmed.

    Commenting on the suggestions made by the participants in the interaction, Shri Vajpayee assured them that the judicial inquiry into the communal violence in Gujarat would be fair and impartial. He also said that its findings would be taken very seriously for effective and speedy implementation.