The Temple Politics

As election time approaches the speeches, the promises and the news on Ram Temple at his birth place in Ayodhya become more prominent. Radical voices become more formidable, seculars and pseudo seculars also counter or support the issue or even pretend to be working for the temple. Visits to temples by politicians increase all of a sudden. At one side all seem to talk about leaving the decisions to honourable supreme court, at the other side indication and provocation to make a law are voiced, though both lack any surety or any real intention. The delay at the court has allowed the politics to be played on it when elections are around.

Due to diversity in the Hindu religion itself, there has never been one voice in the Hindu society regarding necessity of or even for constructing the Ram Temple at Ayodhya. Many among these voices are of leftist, who welcomed Chinese offensive in 1962, and some other are categorised as pseudo seculars, busy in appeasing other parties in garb of secularism. Temple in any case has no meaning for them, but talking on it suits their political ambition, especially if temple is denied or delayed for any reason. So why bother? Why not, in election seasons they would also like to encash upon sentiments of those, for whom decisions to construct or not to construct matters in one way or the other. And they are doing so. Some of these even boasts having fired on the unarmed volunteers going to the temple site some years back, but they stay tight lipped on stone palters, who target the security forces in the northern state of Kashmir.

However, there are another two classes in Hindu society, for whom it doesn’t matter at all, if temple is constructed or not, or some other structure in its place. One is the hungry and poor class. For whom, getting one full meal a day or ensuring some education for children is the only issue. Temple or no temple hardly has any meaning for them, even when they worship or respect Lord Ram. And understandably so, why it should matter to them. In contrast to them, there is another modern well educated and well-fed class, for whom it matters the least. They may, on occasions, pretend to be highly religious and highly socially conscious, though are distance apart from both of these. Construct hospital or national monument instead is generally the best argument they have, as if India is short of land for these and only Ram’s birthplace is needed for it. Or why construct anything with tax payers’ money, is another of their hollow argument. Before shooting in the air, they don’t even think, that government is not involved in constructing the proposed temple. The religious trusts are putting in and have enough funds for it. Such people get enlightenment only when they speak against their own religion. Well, they have the right to express their opinion, no matter how hollow and self-defeating it may be. May Lord Ram forgive them.

It is not only radicals, rightist, leftists, pseudo seculars, and others who are making their presence felt at this time, there is another estate, which is making most of it, the fourth estate. Even if the statement or action of someone in this regard is trivial one, Indian media would waste no time in making it explosive, even inviting opposing parties to shout it out on their channels. Anyone gains or loses but media would be a victor on this issue. Whatever happens, they would have enough to report on, to shout out and to pretend to stand with the losing sides.

The only party, which is really affected by the decisions, and for which no one cares, is of real Ram worshipers and believers. In a country, supposedly to be of majority of their religion, and that too only one in the world, they wait hopelessly for over 400 years to get justice, to get their right to worship at the birth place of Lord Ram. And no one bothers about them, not the leftists, not the Maoists, not the seculars, not the pseudo seculars, not the hungry and poor, not the judiciary, not the in the internet entangled new generation, and not the least the educated modernists born in Hindu families for whom ignoring religion or targeting own is the order of the day.

Whatever opinions, beliefs, commitment and compulsions may be, one thing is sure, there will be lot of rhetoric in media and in social media in the election season. After the election it would be forgotten and left to court for next series of hearings and adjournments. Others would be busy in their next missions, next targets, next requirements, and Lord Ram would continue to reside in canvas shelter, not knowing for how long………

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