TIL CM Kalyan Singh had almost solved the Ram Mandir problem in 1991 by starting construction of a temple on a plot adjacent to Babri Masjid, but Muslims opposed building of *any* temple, and Supreme Court sided with the Muslims

[28 September 2018] The biggest factor in the entire dispute has been inaction by the entire Indian judiciary, from High to Supreme Court. But at key points in time, the courts have interfered and frustrated attempts to resolve the issue.

1. CM Kalyan Singh wanted to resolve the issue by building Ram Temple on a plot adjacent to the Mosque and allow a Parikrama around the disputed site. This would have worked out for everyone because:
2. The Temple would have been built. Though not on the exact spot, but it would have appeased at least the non-fundamentalist Ram Mandir-supporters.
3. It would have allowed veneration of the birthplace of Ram. Parikrama is a Hindu ritual of great significance, secondary only to Darshan of the presiding deity. This would have pleased bhakts more than enough.
4. The Mosque would not have to be affected at all.
5. Muslims could still have offered Namaz inside Babri since neither would they have to "face" any idol nor contravene any religious guidelines, and Hindus don't have any problem with non-Hindu prayer in their vicinity.
6. Most importantly, since the solution was spearheaded by the leaders of the Hindu side, it would have been accepted by the larger community and hence ended all conflict, legal, political, and social (and vigilante, considering that VHP was on board with the plan.)
7. This was to be executed by the State of UP, so there was no question of illegal encroachment or other subversive acts against the mosque next door. It would have been completely under the police and govt control.

Kalyan Singh govt went ahead and acquired 2.77 acres of land next to the Mosque and began preparing for the work

However, this was not to be. Mohd Hashim Ansari, with the help of the UP Wakf Board, the oldest litigant in the Ram Temple Case (later called the "last moderate" member of Babri Masjid Action Committee) filed a case against acquisition of the land itself. This was cheered on by Liberals who didn't want to allow even a symbolic victory for Hindus.

As expected, the judiciary sprang to action. Right off the bat, in 1991 the UP High Court allowed the acquisition but did not allow construction of any permanent structure. Then in 1994 the Supreme Court (pdf) actually convicted CM Kalyan Singh of "contempt of court" for even having made a tourism shelter for people who came for pilgrimage to the site.

This was the last straw for Hindus. Events that followed the HC verdict led directly to the *Kar Seva* that demolished the mosque.

[Main reference for the above is this book on the Ram Mandir Saga by Jyoti Trehan Sharma of Indraprastha College, DU. I learned of this reconciliatory attempt from this article in Swarajya. A number of sources were not cited because they made only passing references to the events.]

Original post by user le_clochard on indianews.reddit.com.