The city of Ayodhya has been decked up and massive preparations have been made for the 'Bhoomi Poojan' ceremony of the Ram Mandir. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi all set to lay the foundation stone of the proposed grand temple, 175 eminent guests, including 135 saints, have also been invited.
On the occasion of the 'Bhoomi Poojan', let us take a look at 10 must-read opinion pieces across media organisations over the past few days.
1. At Ayodhya, we will see dismantling of the old, and the bhoomi pujan of the new republic - Suhas Palshikar
Slamming PM Modi, Palshikar wrote that he (PM Modi) may as well announce the commencement of a new “republic”. "The last 15 months have seen a more systematic and ruthless action toward rewriting the constitution and ushering in a new grammar of state power," he noted.
2. Ayodhya’s Ram temple is first real colonisation of Hinduism by political power - PB Mehta
In a critical piece, Mehta said that those who waged war in Ram's name are consecrating the temple at Ayodhya. "They are describing this as the ultimate act of devotion to you (Ram), the ultimate obeisance to your sovereignty. They are, they say, reclaiming hallowed ground, desecrated by barbarous invaders. They are describing this as a cathartic overcoming of Hindu humiliation. They are describing this as a new renaissance for Ram Rajya," he added.
3. Let Ayodhya Ram Mandir be a reminder: Indian ancestors died for it, up to us to rebuild - Amish Tripathi
The author wrote that our ancestors did the dying and now it is up to us to do the rebuilding. "We must not stop with the Ram Janmabhoomi ji temple. We should rebuild the Martand ji Sun temple in Kashmir and the university of Vikramshila in Bihar, for instance," he added.
4. The Ram Temple in Ayodhya Will Always Remain a Crime Scene - Apoorvanand
Reminding the readers of the demolition of the Babri Masjid by the kar sevaks in 1992 and the 'historic' Supreme Court judgement, the writer said, "The might of the state and connivance by the judiciary helped the guardians of Ram Lalla usurp the land on which the Babri Masjid stood and functioned for nearly 450 years. The ghost of Babri Masjid will keep reminding us that, what we have done eventually is to build a monument to ‘durneeti’ and ‘asatya’.
5. India marks another day of erasure and insult against its Muslim citizens - Rana Ayyub
Ayyub said that the August 5, also the day of the abrogation of Article 370, and now the 'Bhoomi Pujan' will become another infamous date for Muslims in India. "Modi has used Hindu-Muslim polarization as a potent tool to channel the anger of India’s middle class. The choice of Aug. 5 is yet another reminder of Hindu supremacy in India, symbolic of the transformation of India into a Hindu state," she added.
6. Ayodhya — History will be the judge - M R Shamshad
Calling the demolition of the mosque as a 'national shame', the SC advocate wrote, "the mainstream political leadership is celebrating the laying of the foundation of the Ram temple with national pride." "This is a direct assault on logic, wisdom and the constitutional setup of our nation. This issue of constitutional principles was contested by Muslims largely with the help of secular Hindus. Now, it is for history to judge the path adopted by the system and institutions in achieving this moment of pride," he added.
7. Dalits have a special place in the new Hindutva matrix. Ram Mandir is proof of that - Guru Prakash
The Patna University Assistant Professor said that Kameshwar Chaupal, a Dalit, laid the foundation stone of the temple three decades ago and now as an active member of the Ram Temple trust. The leaders Kalyan Singh, Uma Bharti and Vinay Katiyar also came from lower caste and backward communities, he noted. "Dalits, like the upper castes, have shouldered the duties and obligations of the Hindu civilisation since time immemorial. That the majority of Dalits are unapologetic Hindus is a testament to this fact. Regardless of the overtures by the missionaries and the Marxists, Dalits are and will eternally continue to be loyal and devoted followers of Sanatan Dharma," he added.
8. Whether it be India or Turkey, the secular ideal has failed - Syed Areesh Ahmad
Pointing out the similarities between the coversion of Turkey's Hagia Sophia to a mosque and India's demolition of Babri Masjid, the Ramjas College professor wrote, "Whether it be India or Turkey, the secular ideal has failed. It has come a cropper in winning the hearts and minds of ordinary folk. In the absence of any real rootedness in the psyche of people, and as merely a state-led project, secularism’s capacity to instil loyalty for itself among people is fairly negligible."
9. Ram Mandir materialises. But at what cost? - Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay
Delhi-based journalist and author wrote that the 'Bhoomi Poojan' event marks the devoicing of a large section of Indians, especially religious minorities and this regime's ideological adversaries. Criticising the event amid the pandemic, he added, "The stranglehold of religio-cultural nationalists is so complete that not one political party has commented on the inappropriateness of the mega-event, especially when pandemic-management requires complete attention and precautions remain necessary."
10. In Ayodhya will unfold a project of building, and erasure - Saba Naqvi
The senior journalist noted that the BJP and the RSS are determined to create their own history and monuments. It would be a mistake to see the Ayodhya ceremony as a mere diversionary tactic in the midst of a pandemic and a sinking economy, she said and added, "The fact that this will happen on August 5 that marks the anniversary of the abolition of Article 370, that they have viewed as an abomination, is a matter of celebration and not a cause of concern for them."
