As Supreme Court reserves its order on Ayodhya mediation, here's a list of past mediation attempts by prominent individuals in the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case

The five-judge bench of Supreme Court headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi on Wednesday reserved its order on court-monitored mediation to find a cordial solution for the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case. 

Here is a list of all the previous mediation attempts to conduct a mediation between the parties involved in the case:

1990 - PM Chandra Shekhar attempted to resolve the matter between the two parties after VHP volunteers damaged the mosque partially. However, the negotiations between them failed.

1992 -  Under PM Narasimha Rao's government, Ayodhya Act was passed "to acquire the site of the disputed structure and suitable adjacent land for setting up a complex" that would have a temple dedicated to Lord Ram." However, the Supreme Court struck down a clause of the Act which wanted to end all legal proceedings in the title dispute of Ayodhya before any court. The Act turned out tonot have any impact for any parties involved in the case.

In fact, mediations have been taking place between parties from all sides even before the demolition of the Babri Masjid. The back channel talks between the VHP and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board were attempted and overseen by then PMs Chandra Shekhar and PV Narasimha Rao

2003 - A significant effort for a negotiated settlement was made by was made by Kanchi Shankaracharya in July 2003. But it broke down after he sent a letter to the AIPLMB.

2010 - Nirmohi Akhara initiated talks in 2010 with ABVP and Hashim Ansari, the original plaintiff from the Muslim side to work on a compromise formula but they were inconclusive

2014 - Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant with Hindu parties failed.

As per reports, in 2014, Ansari wanted to put an end to the dispute and make ‘a fresh start’, he had said he wanted to talk with PM Narendra Modi ‘for an out-of-court settlement.’ He later admitted that he had given the power of attorney to his son Iqbal regarding the case.

 In 2015, he made two attempts to negotiate with the Hindu side. First, he had a meeting with the Akhara Parishad in February, and then he met with the All India Hindu Mahasabha in April 2015. But the talks failed.

He had made provisions to meet the new leader of the Akhara Parishad again in 2016, but he died in that year at the age of 95 even before the talks took place.

2017 - Chief Justice of India JS Khehar, in an unprecedented move, had offered to act as a mediator between the Hindu and Muslim sides. Calling it a “sentimental” issue, he said that the best way to reach an amicable solution would be to hold negotiations outside the court.

2018 - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had also attempted to have negotiations between all parties in the case.