While the Jagatguru Shankaracharyas have alleged that the religious function in Ayodhya, is not being performed as per the rules of Sanatan Dharma, political commentators have interpreted their anger as a public protest against “undue interference” by the BJP and the RSS leaders into religious affairs. These Hindu leaders are believed to be also outraged at the prospects of the Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stealing the show, with politicians outnumbering religious leaders at the inauguration.
Put differently, top Hindu leaders seem unhappy with the BJP and RSS unabashedly playing the religion card to retain political power.
Apart from the Hindu religious leaders, secular forces have also declined the invitation card to the Ayodhya ceremony. Showing clarity and courage, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have rightly said that the political use of religion is very dangerous in a secular democracy.
However, neither the ruling regime and party nor its supplicant supporters within newspapers and TV channels are simply not ready to engage with this criticism. Instead, they are busy, spreading their propaganda. Day and night, the Godi media has been producing “special shows”. Hindi newspapers and news channels are completely “engrossed in Ram Bhakti”. The way news is being presented, editorials are being written and TV debates are being conducted, is a sorry reflection on the state of Indian media today. To say that it is uni-directional and one-sided is to state the obvious.
All credit for the event is also being given to a particular leader. A particular party is being praised for the construction of the Rama Temple. To highlight “the greatness” of the ruling BJP, an image of “evil” is simultaneously also being constructed. Secular opposition parties and the leaders belonging to marginalised groups of Dalit-Bahujan ideology, are all being together portrayed as “anti-Hindu” and “anti-India”.
There can be no question that this level of communal frenzy being whipped up is downright dangerous. In the midst of this majoritarian din, some historical lessons are being obfuscated, forgotten. The fact that, whenever religion has been used to serve narrow political interests, the blood of innocent people has been shed and national unity has been weakened. Was this the India that Babasaheb Ambedkar had dreamed of? Did Bhagat Singh sacrifice his life for this version of India?
Hindutva politicians and national media together have deliberately ignored the basic fact that our Constitution is based on the principle of secularism. The BJP and the RSS leaders have not been believers or adherents to the secular value nor the conviction that secularism is –inalienably– the basic structure of the Constitution. Intoxicated with power, Hindutva leaders choose to forget that t the Constitution of India clearly says that the State shall not have any religion of its own, rather it will treat all religions equally.
Before assuming seats of power and responsibility in government, have these political leaders not taken an oath to this secular Constitution?
Sadly, a large part of the country’s energy is being frittered away by the Hindutva leaders by playing the religious card in public. However, if one raises such questions, one risks being labelled both “anti-Hindu” and “anti-national”.
It is unfortunate for the country that burning questions are being buried in the frenzy of majoritarianism. Our national media and press hardly raise issues related to the welfare of the people. It is a matter of great concern that while the rest of the world is struggling for equality, our politicians are raising sectarian issues.
While the Hindutva supporters claim that the Ram temple issue is a matter of faith (Aastha), I have serious doubts on this score. If this were a question of mere faith, would the inauguration of the Ram temple have been happening on the eve of the General Elections?
Reports have also come in clearly pointing to the fact that the construction work in Ayodhya is yet to be completed, yet the Hindu Right is in a devilish rush to inaugurate it. Had the inauguration been a religious issue, it would have been left to the religious leaders and the government would have focused on the welfare of the people. But this has not happened.
In the name of temple agitation, the Hindutva leaders have often tried to polarise others. The BJP and the RSS know well that it is only communal issues that can either bring them to power or help retain it. Before the temple agitation, the BJP and the RSS were reduced to a very small force. But after playing the Rama Temple card, the BJP reached the centre of the Indian political state.
Through the temple agitation, the BJP and the RSS have been able to exploit the religious sentiments of the people. Their leaders have given fiery speeches and adopted communal strategies, contributing to the outbreak of anti-minority violence.
It appears that Narendra Modi is desperate to become Prime Minister for the third time by chanting the name of Lord Rama. He knows well that this time, opposition parties, forgetting their internal differences, have come together. Modi is well aware of the fact that many of the promises he made during the 2014 general elections, remain unfulfilled even after ten years of his rule.
For example, inflation has not gone down under Modi’s rule. Nor have the youth got jobs. The homeless are yet to get a roof, years after Modi’s promise. During Modi’s regime, two things have been done with great success.
Besides, the rich have become richer and the poor people have suffered further under the ongoing policy of massive privatisation and cuts on social welfare schemes. Second, the communal agendas of the RSS have been imposed on the nation to the marginalisation of minorities, Dalits, Adivasi’s, lower castes and women.
At this critical time, we need to be alert. Reports are coming from different parts of the country that rallies ahead of the January 22 inauguration are being held by the Hindutva forces. In the name of Rama, anti-minority slogans are being raised. During these rallies, the communal forces are trying to turn the matter into a Hindu-Muslim clash. In several places, the minority has been targeted. The victims, instead of being given justice and protection, have been arrested by the police. The police and administrations who have taken an oath to the Constitution, appear to be functioning under political pressure. They have been instructed to give a free hands to communal forces during these rallies. In these dark and troubled times, we need to reaffirm our faith in the legacy of the national movement that stood for secularism and Hindu-Muslim unity.
(Dr Abhay Kumar is a Delhi-based journalist. He has taught political sciences at NCWEB Centres of Delhi University)