On a day when consecration was conducted to the world famous Lord Brahadeeswarar temple in Thanjavur in Tamilnadu, steps to construct another place of worship started in Delhi, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in Lok Sabha Wednesday that the Union Cabinet has given its nod to set up a trust for the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Soon after the meeting of the Union Cabinet ended, Modi reached Lok Sabha to make a statement in this regard. Just before the Question Hour began, he said the trust has been named as the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Shetra.
He said the Uttar Pradesh government has agreed to give five acres of land to the Sunni Wakf Board as directed by the Supreme Court in Ayodhya matter.
Also, the government on Wednesday named members of the “Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teertha Kshetra” trust constituted for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya as mandated by the Supreme Court. The members include senior lawyer K Parasaran, Jagatguru Shankracharya, Jyothishpeethadheeshwar Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati Ji Maharaj from Allahabad, Jagatguru Madhavacharya Swami Vishwa Prasannatheerth Ji Maharaj, Pejawar Math in Udupi, Yugpurush Paramanand Ji Maharaj from Haridwar, Swami Govinddev Giri Ji Maharaj from Pune and Vimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra from Ayodhya.
Besides, the following will also be the trustees, Anil Mishra, a homoeopathic doctor from Ayodhya and Kameshwar Chaupal from Patna who is a Scheduled Caste member, and Mahant Dinendra Das, Nirmohi Akhara, Ayodhya Baithak.
Two prominent people who shall be a practising Hindu will be nominated by the board of trustees with a majority resolution. One representative will be nominated by the Centre who shall be a practising Hindu by religion and a serving member of the IAS and who shall not be below the rank of joint secretary to Government of India and shall be an ex officio member.
One representative will be nominated by the UP government who shall be a practising Hindu and an IAS officer and shall not be below the rank of secretary to the UP government and shall be an ex officio member and the Ayodhya district collector will be the ex officio trustee who shall be a practising Hindu.
If for any reason the incumbent Collector is not a practising Hindu, the Additional Collector of Ayodhya who shall be a practising Hindu shall be an ex officio member. The chairman of the committee for the development and administration of matters relating to the Ram Temple complex, who will be appointed by the Board of Trustees, who shall be a practising Hindu shall be an ex officio member. Setting up of a trust for Ram Mandir on an auspicious day is a good start.