SURAT, DECEMBER 22: The bhoomi-poojan for a Ram temple at Halmodi village in Vyara taluka of Surat district was today performed by Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM), 200 metres away from a prayer hall of tribal Christians, under tight police bandobast.Over 600 hjm activists took part in the ceremony, which ended peacefully. HJM leaders, sarpanch of Karanjkhed village, Maheshbhai and the district collector and district superintendent of police were present.Minister of State for Home Haren Pandya told PTI in Gandhinagar that the shilanyas ceremony for the Ram temple passed off peacefully because of the pragmatic approach adopted by the state government.Allaying fears of the people following the announcement of the programmes by the HJM and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Pandya said that the state government was determined to maintain law and order and ruled out possibility of a repeat of the incidents that occurred in Dangs last year on Christmas.`We have taken adequate precautionary measures to check any untoward incidents this time', he added.Elaborate security arrangements were made since yesterday in the communally-sensitive Vyara taluka. Tight security is also being maintained in other south Gujarat districts.The district authorities permitted the HJM to perform the shilanyas for the Ram temple following an agreement reached by the HJM and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders with the Gujarat government yesterday.While the state government withdrew its circular banning holding of rallies and other functions by members of one community during the festivals of others, the HJM and VHP on their part agreed to call off their plan to hold a rally and dharam sabha on Christmas day at Ahwa in Dangs district.The Gujarat High Court had yesterday directed the state government to take steps to maintain law and order and protect lives and properties of citizens between December 21 and 26 in the wake of the proposed agitations by the HJM and VHP.
