The Ram Temple is no ordinary temple. It stands at the centre of a political, cultural and historical Hindu Renaissance; the culmination of Hindu aspirations at the end of a 500-plus-year-old battle to salvage the birth site of Hinduism’s most revered God from the clutches of a predatory domineering religion that had stamped its authority on it by building a mosque over that exact location. It was the rallying point that successfully forged a Hindu political resurgence bringing a sense of unity and purpose to a community that had till then been directionless and purposeless. The alleged embezzlement of donation money at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has therefore expectedly stirred up a hornets’ nest evoking a flurry of emotions among Hindus—anger, consternation and a sense of despondency; emotions that are entirely justified.
For the opponents of the BJP languishing in political oblivion and the religious detractors of Hinduism who have been kept in check in recent times, this unfortunate incident has come as a godsend; a stick to beat the BJP with and put it on the defensive; an issue to exploit and create dissension among Hindu ranks, demoralize the community and sully their good name. Before Hindus get sucked into a whirlpool of paralyzing self-blame that will only benefit the detractors of Hindus, they need to take a dispassionate and objective look at the sequence of events with regard to this thievery so that they can channel our frustration in a cogent manner that is constructive in its intent.
The first suspicion of any malfeasance occurred on June 4th when an unclaimed bag containing two lakhs of rupees was found in a restroom in the Mandir complex. On June 5, the very next day Champath Rai, the General Secretary, a man with impeccable credentials promptly ordered an internal probe that honed in on a key suspect Avinash Shukla; his house was raided and a significant amount of money was recovered leading the authorities to suspect that this was a limited affair. On June 13, when more information emerged regarding pilfered gold and silver, the Mandir Trust approached the local government for an SIT investigation. By June 25, the SIT probe revealed at least 8 key suspects who were promptly arrested. On June 26: General Secretary Champath Rai and Anil Mishra resigned taking moral responsibility for the lapse.
There is no doubt that there was a lapse in administration. But it is also clear that there was no cover-up. The diary of events indicate that appropriate action was taken at all levels in a timely fashion. The Ram Mandir Trust Committee acted promptly when matters came to light. So did CM Yogi Adityanath who instituted a SIT probe with lightning speed. Accordingly, by June 25, 8 key suspects were charge sheeted and arrested. The General Secretary of the Ram Mandir trust too resigned.
What is the way forward for the Hindu community at this juncture?
First, it is important that Hindus not be carried away by impulsive emotions and succumb to reflex knee-jerk reactions that have the potential to do more harm than good to the greater Hindu cause. While Hindus must demand accountability, their ire must not translate into negative voting at the ballot box. The BJP on its part must remain committed to a transparent investigation that ferrets out the guilty who must be prosecuted.
It is also very easy for this unfortunate episode to become a source for recrimination for Hindus in which we second guess ourselves, question the basic character of all Hindus and sink into an abyss of apathetic low self-esteem. Hindus must transform this crisis into an opportunity. It should prompt Hindus to take a hard look at the functioning of all Hindu temples especially with regard to oversight of collection of donations.
In this digital age when even the vegetable seller on the street transacts with UPI can this system be used in temples to decrease the chances of embezzlement?
In the Akshardham Temple in Robbinsville NJ, I have seen stationary and mobile electronic donation kiosks in the lobbies in front of deities which devotees use to make cashless offerings. Can this be replicated across all Hindu temples which will mitigate the possibility of such incidents? Additionally, all temples big and small must be held accountable by ensuring yearly public financial statements. Hindus need to formulate a charter as to how donation money should be spent to benefit Hindus: by establishing high-quality educational institutions and building world class hospitals with the enormous wealth from our temples.
This ungainly episode must become a positive clarion call for reform and control of Hindu temples across India.
