With the inauguration of the Ram Temple slated for January 22nd, politics has erupted on whether political parties opposed to the BJP, should also endorse its narrative on this issue. It is a well-known fact that for an overwhelming majority in this country, Lord Rama is not only revered but also worshipped for his many virtues. However, the majority which pays obeisance to the Hindu God, are not necessarily followers of any particular political party and do not wish to mix their political beliefs with their religious faith. The constitutional norm has been that religion is personal and every citizen living in this country has the complete freedom to practice what he or she deems to be proper.
In other words, there is equality so far as pursuance of religion goes and any attempt to alter this code can be described as an infringement of the Constitution. Election laws prohibit use of religion in politics but in actuality, there are political parties in India that have thrived only because they espouse their faith in their political narrative.
The Shiromani Akali Dal, the Muslim League and to some degree the BJP too can be accused of using religion for their political gains. The reverse argument is that the parties which project themselves as being secular are also caught in controversies and end up appeasing some religion or the other in order to further their electoral chances.
In the complex society we live in and the complexities that exist in our day-to-day life, religion has come to occupy an important position.
The BJP had been since its Palampur conclave, reiterated its commitment to building a Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Since then, a lot of events took place, which included the demolition of the Babri Masjid that stood on the disputed site and the litigation that followed. Multiple criminal cases are still pending in courts regarding the unauthorized demolition of the mosque but the matter was more or less accepted that a Ram Temple would come up at that particular area.
The Congress too played its role in the entire sequence of events and unknown to many younger leaders of the party, the locks of the disputed site were opened during the Congress regime led by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Even the Shilanyas was performed under the watchful eyes of the then PM shortly before the 1989 Lok Sabha elections leading to a huge controversy. The Ram Janambhoomi and Babri Mosque dispute was taken to the courts but at that point of time, Lal Krishan Advani, the front ranking leader of the BJP had maintained that faith was not justiciable and thus no court could decide on this contentious issue.
Over the years, particularly in the past decade, the BJP’s pitch for Hindutva politics has become shriller than it was ever before. The inauguration of a temple which is still under construction is taking place as a response to questions put by the Saffron party’s adversaries on whether this Mandir would ever be actually built.
Now that it is ready for the inauguration, the BJP is bent upon deriving political advantage from the event, months before the 2024 Parliamentary polls. This was expected in any case and why not? Why would a political party not push for a narrative that appeals to most of its followers and aim at reaping political dividends from it. The right or wrong are the points that would need to be figured out by the Election Commission or the Courts but the event is being looked forward to by a large number of people both in India and abroad. The politics of what is going on has the BJP pushing its opponents to the wall.
The questions that are being asked include whether the Congress leaders—Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who have been invited for the inauguration, accept the invitation with their presence. Many in the Congress argue that they should keep away, but the fact remains that their absence would allow the BJP to have the last laugh. Therefore, there is a reason that they should attend the function.
Their presence would counter the BJP propaganda and at the same time, they would be viewed as respecting the faith of the majority in this country. The Congress has to understand that even its supporters are followers of Lord Rama and by keeping away from the function, the party may be sending wrong signals down the line. One can understand that the Communists who are proclaimed atheists can stay away from such an occasion. But the Congress historically has been a party that has time and again sent out strong signals of its Hindu roots. Many of its past presidents had been associated with the Hindu Mahasabha. Indira Gandhi always wore a Rudraksh necklace and visited temples to worship. In fact, shortly before her brutal assassination at the hands of her own security guards, she had gone to Srinagar and visited the shrine of her Kul Devi, Sharika Devi on the Hari Parbat. Rajiv Gandhi had a close association with the RSS and Bhaurau Deoras, the younger brother of the then Sarsangchalak, Balasaheb Deoras. He was a person whom he would meet to seek his counsel on many vital matters. The Ramayana serial which became extremely popular in the 1980s was given the go ahead by Rajiv Gandhi at the behest of Bhaurau Deoras. The point is that the Congress must accept the reality and not distance itself from the inauguration, keeping in mind the sentiments of majority of Indians.