Ahead of the 2019 Parliamentary polls, the growing clamour for the construction of a temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, clearly indicates that the RSS reposes more faith in Lord Ram than it has in the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is not without a reason that commencing from the Sarsanghchalak, Mohan Bhagwat, to the ordinary volunteer of the Sangh, the pitch is becoming shriller by the day. The sentiment is being echoed even by some BJP leaders, who have been making paradoxical declarations, by stating that the Mandir would be built within the framework of the Constitution, while demanding the settlement of the issue through an ordinance or an enactment of a law by Parliament.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath has taken it upon himself to spearhead the campaign and has with ready alacrity renamed Faizabad; it is now Ayodhya. On Deepavali he was in the city reiterating that the Ram temple always existed, notwithstanding its desecration by Muslim invaders, led by Babur, the first Mughal Emperor. He called upon all Indians to light a diya in the name of Lord Ram, quite overlooking the fact that the sacred festival of Diwali is celebrated to mark the Lord’s return to Ayodhya after vanquishing evil, represented by Ravan.
It is evident that the Sangh Parivar is under tremendous pressure from sadhus and sants, who were given the assurance before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, and later again prior to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, that if elected to power, the BJP would fulfil its long-standing vow of constructing the Mandir. With four and a half years gone by and with the Parliamentary confrontation round the corner, the Sangh has once again decided to highlight the issue, which was mentioned as a footnote in the BJP’s 2014 poll manifesto, that spoke about good governance and development as its salient features.
There is no denying that since the BJP assumed power, a number of productive programmes have been put into action, yet in the Sangh’s estimation, the only plank that would furnish them a fighting chance in the forthcoming elections would be a Ram temple. In order to assist the BJP, it would work in whipping up emotional fervour amongst the Hindus and lead to the total polarisation of communities. The well-calculated demand coincides with the Maha Kumbh in Allahabad in early 2019 and thus the expectation is that the highly emotive quotient would clinch the polls for the Sangh Parivar.
The overall tenor and tone of Sangh representatives demanding the Ram temple is both intimidating and portrays political insecurity. In the assessment of the Sangh, it is obvious that “Brand Ram” would be far more alluring than any other marketing label and would possibly draw a wedge amongst opposition parties and their proposed unity to combat the BJP. This calculation, in a manner, is an open admission regarding the inability of the BJP, as a party, to influence the voters on account of their projected achievements and performance.
Adityanath certainly is in a dilemma when he talks about the construction of a mammoth statue of Lord Ram in Ayodhya in addition to the proposed Ram Mandir. Needless to say, most Indians would want that the Ram temple should be built in the city near river Saryu. Once the temple is in its place, it would decisively become a venerated destination for pilgrims from around the globe. However, the temple alone would not be sufficient to cater to the other practical needs of the citizens. For that to happen, the governments at the Centre and in the states would need to have viably workable schemes for the general masses.
The politics of statues would require the BJP state government to have an idol of Lord Ram which would have to be the tallest in the world, and definitely many scales higher than that of Sardar Patel, which was unveiled on 31 October, in memory of Independent India’s first Home Minister and an iconic freedom fighter. How this would be actualised, and how it would be funded, is a matter that lies in the domain of those who have been conceptualising the project.
Undoubtedly, the Ram temple in Ayodhya would appeal to the spiritual side of most Hindus. The vital bread and butter issues, besides other functional needs that concern us all, have to be simultaneously addressed to make the construction of Ram temple relevant and consequential. Recognising that Hindus revered Lord Ram as one of their most hallowed Gods, the Muslims in a goodwill gesture should concede to this belief. The only problem is that at this stage, the Supreme Court is seized of the case, and unless it delivers its verdict, there is nothing that can be done about it.
The threat of recreating a 1992 type frenzy by drumming up the Ram temple issue shortly before 6 December, when the disputed structure was razed to the ground by kar sevaks, is solely going to generate already heightened tensions. The Sangh Parivar is acting on the presumption that it alone represents the interests of all Hindus and everyone else is insignificant. At the same time, the Sangh visualises an akhand, robust and united India. In fact, the only method of strengthening the cohesiveness of the country is to shun the dangerous politics of communalism and casteism by respecting and upholding diversity. If this were to happen, it would be true Ram Rajya. Between us.