Now that the high-pitched frenzy and fervour around the consecration of the grand Ram Mandir temple at Ayodhya is over, it is worth asking, “Can the Ram Mandir really redefine the idea of India?”
For more than a fortnight before the consecration ceremony, the build-up to the D-Day on Janaury 22 steadily rose to a crescendo with a 24x7 media blitzkrieg on every aspect of the Ram Mandir. Adding to this were the sharp political controversies around who’s invited and who’s not; who’s attending and who’s not. One’s faith and patriotism were being judged and questioned on the basis of the position one took.
The Shankaracharyas added their own voice to the controversy with the view that things were being done in a hurry with an eye on the elections and the consecration of an incomplete temple was against religious custom.
At the consecration ceremony on Janaury 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave an emotional speech on a triumphant note with an underlying sentiment that he did not spell out but could be clearly read between the lines: “Ram Lalla will no longer live in a tent; but will reside in a grand temple. January 22, 2024 is not merely a date but marks the advent of a new era. Even after thousands of years, people will remember this date, and moment. Centuries of wait, patience and sacrifices has finally come to an end. India has broken free from the shackles of slavery…”
There was more in the PM’s speech as he continued in this vein: “ Today, I also apologise to Lord Shri Ram. There must be something lacking in our effort, sacrifice and penance that we could not do this work for so many centuries. Today the work has been completed. I believe that Lord Ram will forgive us today…”
Looking at the spectacle from across the border, the Pakistani nuclear physicist and socio-political commentator, Pervez Hoodbhoy, observed in an article in the Dawn newspaper: “India’s descent into a Hindu Rashtra generates a kind of smug satisfaction in Pakistan, a vindication of the two-nation theory that Hindus and Muslims cannot ever live together. But then, how shall the Muslims of India, and the few Hindus remaining in Pakistan, fare in the times to come? Whether India can ever revert to its earlier, more accommodative and secular self, is an open question.”
Undoubtedly, the Ram Mandir is a momentous occasion in Indian history. But is it really as epochal as it is being made out to be?
Does it have the potential to redefine the multi-religious and multi-ethnic character of India? No it does not. Many who think so are going to be disappointed.
Two distinctions need to be made clearly: There is no denial of the fact that Lord Ram is loved, revered and worshipped by the majority of Indians like no other deity in the Hindu pantheon.
It was for this reason that the poet Allama Iqbal who gave us the stirring words, “Saare jahan se achchha, Hindustan hamara...” famously described Ram as “Imam-e-Hind” in a couplet:
“India is proud of Rama’s very name
To the discerning he is Imam-e-Hind.”
As we all know, Mahatma Gandhi invoked Ram virtually every day with the singing of his favourite bhajan, “Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram” at his prayer meetings.
Given the reality of India’s pluralism, the founding fathers of India always visualised India as a secular state where all religions would be given equal respect. This faith in India’s multi-religious character did not undermine the ideal of Ram and Ram Rajya, symbolising justice, compassion, benevolence, prosperity and the rule of law over the centuries.
The love for Ram and the Ram Mandir therefore need not mean that India is hurtling towards a Hindu Rashtra. The love for Ram has its place in the hearts of a billion Indians as does the underlying faith in the multi-religious character of India.
Whether it is you, me or Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi, the religion we are born into is nothing more than an accident of birth. We could have as well been born to Muslim, Christian, Hindu or Jewish parents. Therefore, religion ought to be an article of personal faith and not something to be flaunted publicly. Religion and spiritualism give many of us solace, hope in difficult times, and peace of mind. Every religion has its strengths and weaknesses, and as the celebrated poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar says, a child should be given the freedom to choose his or her own religion on becoming an adult --or discard all religions if so desired.
The BJP has its political agenda revolving around Ram, the Ram Mandir and a Hindu Rashtra which it is pursuing with all its might. But what must we the people do? It is the responsibility of all of us Indians to assert our multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-ethnic identity and heritage in our own ways and uphold the core constitutional values of equality, fraternity, liberty and justice. This in itself will strengthen India as a nation without in any way diminishing our love for Ram.
The author is a journalist and works for a policy research think tank. He tweets at @abhay_vaidya
