Hey Ram! Why are they crying foul?

History will record January 22, 2024 as the one which has exposed the attitude of 27 parties of INDIA bloc which by its actions and comments has tried to inflict wounds on the majority community which has been celebrating the mega event of consecration of Lord Rama at the grand Ayodhya temple that would be inaugurated on this day.

I know this would invite a lot of criticism from all so-called secularists who think that chanting the name of Hindu God and construction of temple is non-secular but would not bat an eyelid to participate in any other function of any other religion. Their helplessness and hatred towards BJP have been converted into their aversion to attending the consecration ceremony of Lord Rama.

There is no denial that the BJP would certainly take credit for this grand temple during the Lok Sabha elections. But at the same time, it will link it to the manner in which it will help the state and the country in terms of revenue earning as it is certain to become one of the biggest tourism hubs, both national and international.

It is not that the opposition does not understand this aspect, but they are behaving like Gandhari and turning a blind eye to the reality. They refuse to see the positive side which would help the future generations. A majority of Hindus who are soaked in fervour, cutting across the caste and community lines, have been voluntarily contributing their little bit whether it be in form of doors, Padukas, huge Ladoo, or Ladoo prasadam from Tirumala on behalf of Lord Venkateswara and other contributions from across the country. Are they non-secular and followers of BJP or RSS? If the group of 27 parties called INDIA thinks so, then they can be sure that their fate in the next elections is sealed.

Some analysts and intellectuals have come up with articles saying this day would be recorded as the day when secularism died in India. One does not understand how many times they will feel that secularism has died in the country. They had said this when the abrogation of Article 370 took place. They said this when the Supreme Court endorsed the decision of the government on Article 370 and they are saying the same thing once gain. They had better realise that secularism cannot die at least in India even if they wish.

Politicians believe in speaking about ‘Mohabbat,’ but they rarely put it into practice. That is not the case with the people of this great country called India that is Bharat. Was Kabir non-secular? He was a well-known Indian mystic poet and saint. His writings influenced Hinduism’s Bhakti movement, and his verses are found in Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib, the Satguru Granth Sahib of Saint Garib Das, and Kabir Sagar of Dharamdas.

Kabir is as an icon of Hindu-Muslim unity. The legend goes that his disciples fought over his body. Hindus insisted on cremating it while Muslims argued for a burial. A scuffle ensued, and the shroud was torn away. To the shock of rival claimants, they discovered that nothing remained of the master except a heap of flowers. It shows that his disciples wrangled over what their master had called a leaky pitcher.

The comments and statements of the neo-secularists of the bloc INDIA are also nothing short of a wrangle over a leaky pitcher. The big question is whether these parties can take a stand before the notification for the Lok Sabha elections is announced. When the new Babri Masjid will be constructed, will they not go for its inauguration? Will they insist that the government should have no role to play in that event because they are true secularists?

Will they take a stand that none from their party members will visit Ayodhya, taking a stand that the temple inauguration is performed like a ‘political event’ and not as a religious celebration? They cannot, because the long list of those VIPs includes the former Lok Sabha Speaker Meera Kumar who is a Congress leader. They may duck, saying it is her individual stand, not that of her party. What a hypocrisy!

I searched and searched but failed to find any observation anywhere where it is said that if the head of the political executive or the ruling party participates in the celebrations of their own religion, it would become non-secular. When they say that the grand ceremony which would take place on January 22 is not religious but purely political one, are they not earning the anger of the people? Are the people who are voluntarily organising bhajans, kirtans, distribution of food and offering special prayers across the country fools? Are they non-secular?

Can this group of leaders assure that their family members will not light Diyas on that day? Well, there is also a sort of dichotomy in what these leaders say and do. The AAP government in Delhi is part of the bloc INDIA but has announced that rendering of Ramcharitmanas would take place on the day of inauguration of the temple at Ayodhya. Does AAP then become non-secular? If so, how did the bloc enter into seat- sharing with AAP in Delhi? What do you call this if not pseudo secularism?

If what the opposition bloc with a blocked mind says is correct in regard to secularism, how did Yogi Adityanath become the Chief Minister for the second time in a state where the Muslim population is significant in numbers and in a state where Ram Janmabhoomi issue became a political issue for over three decades. This clearly shows that the fear and pollution is more in the minds of politicians than the people. People are enlightened lot while the politicians still believe in divide and rule.

It was a feast for eyes to see the first image of the Ram Lalla idol which became public on Friday, three days before the ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony. The statue carved in black stone is adorned with a garland of roses. Ram Lalla is in a standing posture. The 51-inch idol of Lord Ram as a child, sculpted by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj, was brought to the temple on Wednesday night. This was done amid chanting of prayers.

Neither the Congress nor the members of INDIA bloc reacted when DMK spoke against Sanatana Dharma. They did not speak a word when a DMK MP made uncharitable comments on the Hindi belt saying that it was Gaumutra belt. But when the unfortunate incidents of rape and brutality against certain sections in Manipur took place, instead of finding a solution they are using it for electoral gains. What kind of secularism is this?

It is high time the Congress and the bloc INDIA leaders realise that God is one. He has no shape or religion. It is only for the convenience of offering prayers and seeking His blessings, mankind sees Him in different forms. The ‘pratishtha’ of Lord Ram is being done for the welfare of all, for the welfare of the nation, for the welfare of humanity.

This project should also be viewed as an opportunity to create direct and indirect employment to hundreds of people. The city of Ayodhya which was nothing but a small place with narrow roads today has an international airport and a railway station which looks nothing short of an international airport with most modern facilities. It now has wide roads and has caught global attention.

The event is going to be witnessed physically by billionaire Mukesh Ambani and his family as well as Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan and about 8,000 people from across the globe. This includes leading industrialists, top film stars, sportspersons, bureaucrats and diplomats. Are they non-secular according to the bloc INDIA?

Bachchan will fly into Ayodhya in a private chartered plane for the opening of the 161-foot pink sandstone shrine. From the film industry, the list features actors Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Allu Arjun, Mohanlal, Anupam Kher and Chiranjeevi. There will also be sarod maestro Amjad Ali, lyricist and poet Manoj Muntashir and his wife, lyricist and writer Prasoon Joshi, and directors Sanjay Bhansali and Chandraprakash Dwivedi.

Other prominent industrialists invited include Aditya Birla Group chairperson Kumar Mangalam Birla and his wife Nirja, Piramal Group chairperson Ajay Piramal, Mahindra and Mahindra’s Anand Mahindra and DCM Shriram’s Ajay Shriram and TCS CEO K Krithivasan.

K Satish Reddy of Dr Reddy’s Pharmaceuticals, Zee Entertainment Enterprises CEO Punit Goenka, L&T CEO S N Subrahmanyan and his wife, Murali Divi of Divis Laboratories, Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy, Jindal Steel & Power head Naveen Jindal and Naresh Trehan, former Lok Sabha speaker Meera Kumar and former Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia are also on the list. Are all of them non-secular? One last question. Was the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi non-secular because when he was shot at, his reaction was ‘Hey Ram!’