The three-member Ayodhya mediation panel submitted its report to the Supreme Court on Thursday, drawing the curtains on the almost four-and-a-half month long negotiations between Hindu and Muslim litigants to explore the possibility of an out-of-court settlement of the Ayodhya land dispute. The panel, which began the negotiations with both the Hindu and Muslims litigants in Ayodhya on March 13, held the final round of back-to-back discussions spread over three days in New Delhi from July 29. On August 2, the Supreme Court will look at the results of the entire process. In case, the negotiations failed to make any progress, SC may resume hearings, possibly daily, against the Allahabad High Court order. In 2010, the high court had divided the disputed land equally between the three main litigants - the Nirmohi Akhara, the Sunni Central Wakf Board, and Ram Lalla.
