By Dr. Gyan Pathak
Hinduism is a religion, but Hindutva is politics. Former is rooted in religiosity, but the later in hate politics as practiced by RSS-BJP clan. ‘Jai Sri Ram’ had been a religious and pious expression in Hinduism, but RSS-BJP clan has been misusing this as a tool against their opponents to tease and provoke, and to malign everyone opposing their hate politics. Now the world is witnessing how even the consecration of Ramlala, a most pious and religious event in Hinduism, is being defiled by injecting hate politics in it. RSS-BJP clan is bent upon playing their Hindutva politics and their leader Narendra Modi, who is our Prime Minister on oath of ‘secularism’, will be violating his own oath to inaugurate the Ram Temple at Ayodhya on January 22, 2024.
On several occasions, RSS-BJP clan leaders have been heard claiming that Ram Mandir inauguration will politically benefit them in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election 2024. Their statements did not show any religiosity for Ramlala, but only Hindutva politics as all their wings are playing their games. Opposition political parties are being strategically teased and provoked, only to get adverse reaction from them that they may use during their political campaigns.
They think, such a strategy would help them realise their latest coined slogan “Teesri bar Modi Sarkar, abki bar 400 paar”, unmindful of the sin they are committing by defiling the occasion with their Hindutva politics based on hatred, for the greed of power, and the pride and arrogance with an attitude to denigrate those who happened not to turn up on their invite, taking offence as if the invite was their dictate. Where is the religiosity? In Hinduism we pray for all, including those who does not happen to be present during the religious rituals, for whatsoever their reasons be. RSS-BJP’s Hindutva is not tolerant as Hinduism, as we see their leaders criticizing those who refuse to follow the dictate of their hate politics.
Only time will tell what crop the RSS-BJP would reap in the form of electoral gain in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election, but what they are doing is nothing but defiling the consecration of Ramlala. Political parties in the country have been divided as a result. The manner in which invitations were sent to the several political parties was simply outrageous, since it smacked RSS-BJP’s politics of hatred. It goes without saying that the Temple’s Trust and the Organizing Committee played in the hands of RSS-BJP clan and their top leaders.
All parties in opposition to BJP are provoked through invitation and RSS-BJP leaders’ uncalled for statements against them and their super-activity as if the occasion was their own. They are going to organize even free trip for Hindus to Ayodhya for several weeks after inauguration by PM Narendra Modi. The religious occasion has been turned into RSS-BJP’s political event. Why should then other political parties participate in their event, especially when barring the BJP leaders, all others are being teased and taunted in the name of Ramlala and by the slogan ‘Jai Sri Ram’. It is just exploitation of religiosity of the people in the name of religion, nothing more.
Congress has rightly called the Ram Temple inauguration an event of the BJP and RSS, and turned down the invitation for the “Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla”. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in statement that senior party leaders – Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Choudhury has ‘declined’ the invitation for the grand event in Ayodhya. “Lord Ram is worshipped by millions in our country. Religion is a personal matter. But the RSS and BJP have long made a political project of the temple in Ayodhya. The inauguration of the incomplete temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS has been obviously brought forward for electoral gain,” he said. BJP is now frowning upon Congress leaders and has invoked even Nehru, only proves how BJP is playing just politics against opposition behind religious even of consecration of Ramlala. BJP is trying to label Congress as having “anti-Hindu” sentiment that is totally false.
False allegation is again a sin in Hinduism, which is of worst kind, and that is to be punished in the “Raurau Naraka” one of the quarters of Hell. It is not religion. A religious person must pray for all, and who prays for all is a religious person. Who breeds hatred during consecration is just defiling the religious event.
BJP’s strategy to derive electoral gain from their hate politics was even obvious when Vishwa Hindu Parishad (part of RSS-BJP family) invited Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav for the consecration ceremony on January 22. Akhilesh Yadav had to decline it on account of politics being played, which was right, since Hindu religion does not teach that people should become “dharmabhiru” (fearing in the name of religion). He categorically said, “This BJP government is against minorities. Our gods are Pichhade, Dalit and Alpasankhyaka.” Politics and counter politics are obvious. It should be recalled that Hinduism teaches us about “Jiva Brahm” (even living beings are gods), and hence Akhilesh Yadav’s statement is not anti-Hinduism. Worshipping idols and hating human being is hypocrisy in Hinduism. Hate politics is therefore anti-Hinduism.
TMC leader Mamata Banerjee has rightly said that Ayodhya Ram Mandir inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi just on the eve of Lok Sabha election is nothing but a pre-poll BJP gimmick show. She said she believed in a festival that takes everyone together, talks about everyone … while raising objection over “disregarding people of other communities”. “Do whatever you want, you are doing a gimmick before the elections, do it, I have no problem but disregarding people of other communities is not right.” She was right is saying it, since she had a personal experience during the last Lok Sabha election 2019, when RSS-BJP leaders and activists teased and provoked her everywhere she went with “Jai Sri Ram”, a pious religious slogan that was misused as weapon against opposition leaders, even Hindu opposition leaders.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray has denied getting invitation from the Organaisers of the event at Ayodhya, on which, even chief priest of Ramjanmabhoomi Temple said that the invitations have been extended only to those who are “devotees of Lord Ram.” No one can fail to see politics in it, because Shiv Sainiks are know believers, who were once allies of BJP. Since, Shiv Sena has deserted the BJP, it is ridiculous to say that they are not devotees of Lord Ram. Perhaps, the priest wanted to say that he is not devotee of PM Narendra Modi. “BJP is left now to announce Lord Ram as their candidate,” said Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.
CPM leader Brinda Karat has also said that her party will also not attend Ram Temple opening ceremony on January 22, while slamming the RSS-BJP for ‘politicisation’ of a religious event. There are many more leaders from opposition rank who will not be part of the Ramlala consecration ceremony alleging its actual desecration through RSS-BJP’s petty politics.
Politics being played during the consecration of Ramlala is thus a reality. However, the question is, will it benefit BJP in the Lok Sabha election 2024? Not likely, for several reasons, including disenchantment of the people from PM Modi’s rule, especially since 2019 Lok Sabha election, when BJP was able to win 303 seats. However, in every state from where BJP won its seat, the party has sharply been losing its share of votes with only exception of Manipur, where the recent violence under their double engine government has made the party unpopular in the entire northeast reason as reflected in the November 2023 election in Mizoram.
Secondly, opposition political parties are likely to offer united contests in majority of seats under INDIA banner preventing division of anti-BJP votes. They will be exposing the BJP’s nefarious design to divide people by their communal politics, and how RSS-BJP leaders are calling names to even Hindu political leaders who are against Hindutva communal politics, this time again in the name of Ramlala. (IPA Service)
The post RSS-BJP Clan Must Not Defile Ramlala Consecration With Hate Politics first appeared on Latest India news, analysis and reports on IPA Newspack.
