Ram-Janmabhoomi: metamorphosis of Indian Secularism.

India is known as the home of the world’s oldest religion. She is known as a land which hosts more than 2 million temples representing the glamorous cultural heritage, standing tall and bold on the Ghats of a swift-flowing river, dazzling under the evening, saffron sky. She is known to host a conglomeration of religions under the banner of secularism. She is known to have welcomed all religions- invaders and the prosecuted alike; and subsequently incorporated their cultures into her own. In cultures as diverse as ours, small communal conflicts are almost inevitable; but why did a small piece of land in Ayodhya instigate waves of communal violence throughout the nation, causing thousands of people to lose their lives? Why did the nation with more than 2 million temples burn for the greed of one? Why did land with more than 3 lakh mosques shudder with the destruction of one? The Ayodhya issue is more than just a typical property dispute. It is the product of competitive religious fundamentalism fueled by the vicious politics for power. 

The dispute started out in 1949 with the idol of Ram Lalla being placed under the dome of the Babri masjid, irking the religious sentiments of the Muslims. What followed was a series of judicial battles, religious polarization and the politics of vote bank. Though the issue had roots in conflicting Hindu-Muslim sentiments, politicization on the basis of religion added fuel to the fire. For the Hindus, the Babri masjid was a stigma. It was built on the place they regarded as the birthplace of a deity millions of Hindus worshipped. It was an incessant reminder of the foreign invasions in the medieval times that had nearly destroyed the ancient Indian culture. In their eyes, it was just one of the many mosques built on the ruins of some ancient Hindu temples demolished by the invaders under the name of Islam. For the Muslims, it wasn’t just a place of worship. It was a cover to protect all the other mosques targeted by the Hindu fundamentalists for being built upon destroyed temples. The site had great significance to both the religions, which became the cause of the tensions that subsequently arose after the demolition of the mosque in 1992. 

In Islam prayer is important, a mosque is not. A Muslim is not obliged to offer his prayers in a mosque, in order to prove his allegiance to the faith. Although idol worshipping is practiced in Hinduism, visiting a temple to perform rituals is not the only way to achieve salvation. The Advaita-Vedanta, which is the core of Hinduism states that every living being has the essence of the one true god; and instead of searching for God in temples, one must look no further than the inner self to feel his presence. Thus, neither religion in itself, causes the clashes among the two groups, nor does it justify the claims put forward during the arguments. Differences among religions does not cause communal violence, it is caused by the clashing of competitive religious zeal. If it weren’t for religious chauvinism, the Hindus wouldn’t have demolished the 400-year-old mosque in the name of the lord who was the embodiment of honor, the Muslims wouldn’t have caused riots all over the country, thousands of innocents wouldn’t have lost their lives just because of their religious affiliation. 

Religious chauvinism, when combined with political ambitions is known to make nations rise and fall. Religion has always had a major role in shaping India’s political image. Indian political parties are infamous for misusing religion and caste for their personal gains, conveniently forgetting the secular nature of the constitution; and the Ayodhya issue is not an exception. Congress used the Babri masjid issue to attract minority votes by providing them a false sense of security in their regime. The BJP and allies use Ram Janmabhoomi issue to propagate their Hindutva agenda, appealing to the majority population in order to come into power. The proposed construction of the Ram-Lalla temple is believed to be a facade by the BJP to lure votes for the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh and the 2024 Assembly elections, according to many opposition party members. Through the years, every government in power modified the definition of India’s secularism to suit their own needs. Politicization of any religious issue has always been an adversity for India, but success for the political parties; and they are ready to compromise the nation’s well-being for their personal advantages.  

Ayodhya has been at the center of a volcano which has been surfacing time and time again since 1949 claiming more casualties each time, than the last. Since it is an important part of the Indian heritage, all Indians view Ayodhya with a special regard. Thus, the smoke from Ayodhya’s fire can be seen from every region of the country. The flares of the fire were felt not only in Ayodhya, but Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat, Delhi, Kanpur, Vadodara, Kashmir and Lahore following the demolition of the mosque in 1992. Repercussions of the temple’s constructions are going to be felt throughout the country, especially in the Kashmir valley, since the bhumipoojan dated exactly one year since the revocation of Kashmir’s special status. The current pandemic might only be postponing another chapter in communal violence in India. India has received criticism from Islamic countries like Pakistan and Indonesia after the construction of Ram Lalla temple kicked in, especially in the light of the Hagia-Sophia verdict. However, the issue is India’s internal business and much attention shouldn’t be given to fruitless criticism. 

In almost all 300 versions of the Ramayana epic, Lord Ram has been regarded as the epitome of honor, the ideal governor and a just ruler. Ram-Rajya may seem like fiction in the modern world, but the ideas of justice, prosperity, progressive governance and moral society should be incorporated by all Indians, irrespective of the religion. What seemed like a dark chapter in Indian history should end in the true Ram-Rajya. 

Prajakta Pendse.

S.Y.B.A. - Vaadasabha Member

(Secured Second Rank In Our In-house Essay Competition)