In the backdrop of the election results in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the RSS and its frontal organisations are expected to become more aggressive and this could mean queering the pitch further for the construction of Ram Mandir. With Modi government in office, RSS can expect the support of bureaucracy in this effort. If the Modi government introduces a bill in Parliament for this purpose, nobody will have the strength to counter it. The Congress ruled states may protest but that would be purely a technical exercise.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had told the crowd of Sadhus: “It is not the court’s priority, maybe because it is busy or is not able to understand our society. In such a situation, the government should bring a law as soon as possible. This is our demand and remember what we have to do to fulfil this demand. Go and explain to every person about the present state of Ram Janmabhoomi. Now we don’t need to fight, but have to be adamant. Take it to the people that the government has to make law.”
If the Modi government does not introduce the bill, the Hindu organisations are likely to resort to agitations, which could eventually lead to communal disturbances and a fresh polarisation of the Hindu votes. It is premature to say how the secular forces or the Opposition would react. We have seen the docile stance of the opposition during last three years.
The VHP general secretary has already said that in case the bill does not come in this winter session, the future course of action will be decided at the next ‘dharam sansad’, which will be held in Allahabad on the sidelines of ‘Mahakumbh’ on January 31 and February 1. The RSS will not wait further. Time is running out for it.
The saffron outfits consider this to be the best opportunity for the construction of the temple. RSS believes that such favourable conditions may not come about in future. At least for five years, the BJP could be out of power. With economic scenario changing fast, the political equations could undergo a major shift. New forces will not certainly like to follow in the foot steps on Congress or BJP. In such a situation, the RSS could lose the ideological and political mooring.
One thing is absolutely clear to the RSS leaders that for taking forward their design and providing it a concrete shape, the BJP must continue to be in power. The defeat in the three states is a stick in their hands to beat the BJP. In fact, for over two years the RSS has been cautioning the BJP leadership, especially the Modi government is not to deviate from the RSS line. Sangh has made its annoyance public on many occasions.
With the 2019 general elections scheduled to take place within the next six months, the RSS and the VHP have planned dharma sensed in every Lok Sabha constituency. To broad base their strategy, they plan to meet MPs with the request to take steps for the construction of the Ram temple. Their message is that if they don’t take steps to pass a Bill in Parliament, they must be ready to lose their seats.
The mission of ushering in Hindu Rashtra is so crucial for them that they are ready to flout any legal challenge. Some of them even accused the Supreme Court judges of colluding with the Congress and delaying the temple’s construction. They will not wait for any government permission for construction. They openly say that the fight has reached a decisive stage and if the temple construction does not begin by Ram Navami, Ram devotees should prepare themselves to march towards Ayodhya.
The Supreme Court will hear the Ram Janmabhoomi title suit in January, 2019. Political leaders have already started discussing the possibility of an ordinance by the government. Under the plan, the karsevaks would take up construction of the temple in a spontaneous operation similar to the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
Arun Srivastava is a freelance journalist. The views are personal.
