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The Hindus accepted to offer worship at
the Ram Chabootar as a second best option. The temples at Mathura and
Varanasi have a similar significance. They were built at the time when
Hindus were not their own masters. In all the three cases, the intention
of the Hindus was to re-establish their claim to the sites, because of
their cultural attachment to these locations.
Where the sites in question have a special
holy significance for Hindus, they should not be asked to keep on being
contented with the second-best option. The manner of offering of prayers
at these sites being unsatisfactory, the ill will against Islam is perpetuated.
The structures by the invaders at the above three sites keep on reinforcing
this feeling, since their only objective have always been one of making
political statements rather than being places of worship. The return of
these three sites to the Hindus will go a long way towards improving religious
harmony. |