“There is no god in that temple,” said the saint.
The King was enraged;
“No God? Oh Saint, aren’t you speaking like an atheist?
On the throne studded with priceless gems, beams the golden idol,
And yet, you proclaim that’s empty?”
“It’s not empty; It’s rather full of the Royal pride.
You have bestowed yourself, oh King, not the God of this world”,
Remarked the saint.
– Rabindranath Tagore (‘Deeno Daan’)
[Translated from the original Bengali into English by Sandipto Das Gupta]
Thus would have responded Tagore to the invitation of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to attend the opening ceremony of the Ram temple, which is not yet complete. He would have refused to even accept the invitation as it is not about Ram at all. It is a celebration of the victory of a deceitful and violent campaign of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to confuse the Hindus and present itself as the patron and guardian of Ram and Hindu interests, which could only be served by humiliating and violating Muslims.
So, Tagore would have to find stronger words of rebuke for those representing the Ram Temple Trust.
It is not only royal pride which drives the sacred spirit out of the ‘religious’ space. Can a stolen land host piousness?
The Congress party, which had once the great Tagore as its friend, seemed to be in great dilemma: whether to join the inauguration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya or not. However, on January 10 (Wednesday), it declined the invitation to the Ram temple inauguration ceremony, saying “it’s clearly an RSS/BJP ceremony”.
This is the same temple, which is being built on the land of the Babri Masjid after demolishing it in a criminal act, and then usurping the land through a judicial fraud. Many people were relishing the predicament of the Congress party. While some were applauding it as a masterstroke of the BJP: see how they have laid a trap for the Congress. However, with the Congress’s announcement, this dilemma seems to be have dissipated for now.
But, we all should question if this is only the problem of political parties or is it the problem of the entire country?
When we say country, then let us also honestly accept that this is a problem of all Hindus. Muslims do not care much about the construction of this temple, its date, who attends it and who does not. They have already paid the price for the construction of this temple. This temple would not have been possible without the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Moreover, the Ram temple campaign was intended to humiliate Muslims. If we remember the slogans of this campaign, they were more against Muslims than about Ram.
This temple will continue to remind Muslims of violence and bloodshed against them. And finally, Muslims cannot forget the ultimate injustice of the Supreme Court. They know that this temple is not so much a monument of reverence for Ram as it is a symbol of hatred against Muslims and an imagined victory of Hindus over them. They also know that almost all the political parties in this country are Hindu parties. That’s why it is not only about the non-BJP parties which are yet to take a stand on this matter. It is also about Hindus.
If you do not accept the invitation, there is a danger of the party losing sympathy of Hindus and if it accepts it, it will mean compromising its morality. However, it will also mean that there is still a sense of political morality left in this country. It is not about secularism in a superficial way, although that is also part of it. It is about the morality of justice in the broadest sense. We know that this temple is a symbol of a great injustice, and it is not appropriate to celebrate injustice. But before considering this aspect, some more questions crop up. The questions should be asked to those who do not see anything wrong with the temple and think that it is a sacred place.
We know that this temple is still incomplete. The construction work is going on. Then what is the hurry to inaugurate the sanctum sanctorum when the temple is still being built? Many times, the house warming ritual is performed in an incomplete house due to some practical compulsions. For instance, a special person from the family is going abroad, someone’s parents have become so old that one does not know if they would be able to see their children’s own home in their lifetime, etc.
However, why is there so much anxiety to install Ram Lalla in an incomplete temple? Is it because he is shivering in the cold? Or is it being done to protect Him from the rains? What is the reason for the hurry? Those who are sincere devotees of Ram, that is, not political devotees of Ram, are not going anywhere. They are not in a rush,
The BJP, however, is in a tearing hurry to install the minor Ram in the incomplete temple. Is it because another auspicious time will not come again for the next five years? We all, including those who call themselves true Ram devotees, know that there is only one reason for the rush: the Lok Sabha elections, which are expected to be held after three months.
The inauguration should be done now so that BJP can boast of its achievement of getting ‘minor Ram’ his home in this election campaign.
This is also because the photos of Narendra Modi doing the bhoomi pujan on the land of Babri Masjid have become slightly old, even if they are still being used. But more photos are needed, to establish Narendra Modi as the ‘first Hindu’ of India, him being the Purohit and the Yajman at the same time. He and his party need a constant supply of such photos. The photo of the prime minister consecrating ‘Ram Lalla’ in Ayodhya will promote Modi as the civilisational man, the ‘king’ who brought Ram back home. This photo has electoral significance.
PM Narendra Modi takes part in the bhoomi pujan for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, August 5, 2020. Photo: PIB
The photo of Modi performing the ‘Pran Pratistha’ of ‘Ram Lalla’ is crucial in the campaign to solidify Modi’s image as the chosen leader in the Hindu mindset. You might have heard the statement from Champat Rai, the secretary of the Ram Temple Trust. He asserts that the king is the incarnation of Vishnu, and according to him, Modi is the king; hence, he is considered an incarnation of Vishnu.
Also read: ‘Temple Belongs to Ramanand Sect, Not to Sanyasis, Shaiva or Shakta’: Champat Rai’s Remarks Draw Ire
Moral doubts
The BJP hopes that the images of the consecration of ‘Ram Lalla’ in this new Ram temple in Ayodhya will influence Hindu psychology more than any other slogan or promise. You don’t need to be an analyst to say that this will go a long way in hiding the other failures of the BJP government. This photo will also be proof of the rise of a ‘Hindu nation’. A nation which has finally washed all the stains of the outsider Mughal era.
We are aware of all this, and so are the Congress and other non-BJP parties.
In times of moral uncertainty, the Indian tradition of turning to what Mahatma Gandhi would have done still persists. Even for justifying questionable actions, big people take the name of Gandhi. Like the Chief Justice of India did recently to justify his public display of a temple visit in Gujarat.
What would he have told the VHP or the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh?
Had he been alive, the Temple Trust would have definitely invited Gandhi. This is ironic, because the person who assassinated Gandhi was a member of the organisations associated with this Trust.
If Gandhi were to receive this invitation, he would not have promptly rejected it. Gandhi rarely visited temples, and he didn’t need to prove his ‘Hindu-ness’ by visiting temples, wearing saffron, or smearing chandan and tilak on his forehead. Rather, he tried throughout his life to transcend his ‘Hindu-ness’ and enrich it with new experiences. He never needed approval from any Shankaracharya or any religious guru. He was a confident Hindu, unlike our present-day politicians who often appear insecure.
But Gandhi would not have said that since his Ram resided in his heart, he did not feel the need to visit any temple. It would have been a cowardly cover. Not for a brave man like Gandhi. He would have fought with his body and soul for this moment not to arrive. He would have started a movement for the demolished Babri Masjid to be rebuilt and returned to the Muslims.
In 1947-48, numerous mosques, tombs, and dargahs in Delhi were damaged and seized by Hindus and Sikhs. Even the Connaught Place mosque was captured, with idols placed inside it. Gandhi had consistently emphasised the need to vacate the mosques that had been occupied. He further insisted on the evacuation of Islamic buildings taken over by refugees, a stance that caused outrage among them. This insistence made life uncomfortable for his friends in the government, but he remained steadfast in his stance.
Obviously, Gandhi became unpopular among Hindus because of his stance. However, that fear could not make him change his stand or remain silent. Gandhi used to call a crime a crime and never let it go.
The Supreme Court has accepted that two crimes were committed to convert Babri Masjid into a temple. Were the people involved in that crime punished? Far from being punished, those who planned the crime were given the land of the mosque to build the temple. How can any reasonable person accept this? Even if circumstances were hostile, how can one compromise with a crime and live with it?
This entire event is organised by the BJP. The RSS workers are going from door to door, carrying invitations for the temple inauguration, with bundles of Ram Akshat, or yellow rice.
Why is it being suggested that on January 22, events should be organised to celebrate the opening of the ‘garbha griha’ of the Ayodhya Ram Temple in temples in every locality and street? Why is Narendra Modi telling Hindus that Diwali should be celebrated in every home? Why is he telling them that they had been waiting for this moment for 500 years? Do we not know that he is again using his dog whistle to make this moment an occasion to generate anti-Muslim feelings? Why is the VHP celebrating the inauguration of this temple on January 22 in 55 countries of the world? Why is this event being promoted at the government’s expense?
Also read: Modi Government’s Campaign Around Ram Mandir Negates Everything That India Stands For
Four Shankaracharyas have refused to participate in this event. They have rightly said that this is not a religious event; it is a political event of the BJP.
The public is observing the unfolding events, but it also needs to be told that every step of the construction of this Ram temple is drenched in sin.
The BJP is influencing the mental and moral perspectives of Hindus, according to some critics. The Congress has to fight this. It also has to humanise the voters.
We can say with certainty that if Tagore had been alive today, he would have written a harsher poem on the BJP’s Ram temple in Ayodhya. Gandhi would have led a movement or sat on a fast to atone this crime.
We can say that January 22, 2024 is, in many ways, a test of the mettle of Indian politics. Let’s see who passes and who fails.
Apoorvanand is an academic and an author.
