Ayodhya title dispute case: Will SC send matter for mediation? Important decision today

The Supreme Court is expected to pronounce today its verdict on whether to or not to send the contentious Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid Ayodhya title dispute case for mediation. Notably, main parties advocating construction of temple have already conveyed their opposition to the court's suggestion. 

The notice, issued by the top court registry on Thursday, said that the Ayodhya title dispute matter would be listed on March 8 for pronouncement of order before the five-judge constitution bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice S.A. Bobde, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice S. Abdul Nazeer. The order was reserved on Wednesday.

"It is about mind, hear and healing the relationship. We have read history and know history. We have no control over what had happened in the past... Babar invading, whether there was a mosque or temple. We are only concerned with resolving the dispute," Justice Bobde had said in the course of the hearing on Wednesday. He had also made it clear that the court was conscious of the impact of the issue on the body polity.

The court had also indicated that the mediation proceedings would not be open to media reporting, with Justice Bobde saying, ""It should not be reported, once the mediation process is on." However, the hearing saw Justice Chandrachud sounding a divergent view, citing the non-binding nature of the outcome of the mediation as opposed to adjudication which is binding.

Observing that the "desirability of negotiated process can't be underscored", he asked, "If mediation takes place, how would we bind them." The bench had suggested mediation during the eight weeks that are available as case records are being prepared for the hearing of the batch of cross petitions challenging the Allahabad High Court's 2010 verdict trifurcating the disputed site and giving one part each to the Nirmohi Akhada, Ram Lalla and the Sunni Waqf Board.

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