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travesty of justice that the Opposition leaders who repeatedly demonised Hinduism
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under the garb of secularism, have the audacity now to lecture the BJP on the Ram Earlier today, one security personnel
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at Veerabhadra Temple at Lepakshi, in

Sri Sathya Sai district, on 16 January, 2024. PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to conduct the auspicious act of opening the eyes of
the ‘Ram Lalla’ idol at the Ram temple’s sanctum sanctorum in Ayodhya on 22 January,
2024, with a golden stick in the presence of 11 Vedic priests. This will mark the
culmination of the seven-day Pran Pratishtha (consecration) rituals, heralding a new Boycott elections as
chapter in India’s civilisational history. While Jawaharlal Nehru visited Mughal marauder militant option only way to
Babur’s tomb in Afghanistan in 1959, Indira Gandhi visited the tomb in 1968 and Rahul resolve Pakistan's
Gandhi in 2005, it took a leader as tall and fearless as Prime Minister Modi to correct a
problems: Al-Qaeda in
historical wrong. Babur destroyed an existing temple in the year 1528 to build a masjid
Nawai Ghazwa Hind
magazine
(Babri masjid), snatching away from Hindus what was rightfully theirs. And while it is the
The 99-page magazine suggested
Supreme Court ruling that paved way for the construction of the Ram Mandir, at the Ram that the militant option is the only
Janmabhoomi site, let truth be told—it is the grand ambition, extraordinary vision, way to resolve all the nation's
problems and implement an Islamic
unwavering conviction and flawless execution of Prime Minister Modi that has finally
system in the country
brought the Ram Mandir to fruition.

Ram Mandir has been part of the BJP’s manifesto for the longest time and the issue of MHA recommends
building a mandir at Lord Ram’s birthplace was first crystallised in the BJP’s Palampur 'immediate suspension' of
resolution of 1989. ‘Jan Jagaran Abhiyan’ slogan, coined by Modi, then the Gujarat general
Free Movement Regime
secretary of the BJP, became a rallying cry for the Ram Mandir movement. Three decades
between India and
Myanmar
back, the BJP actively organised various activities including Mohalla Baithaks, Prabhat
Ministry of Home Affairs on
Pheris, Sammelans and a massive signature collection campaign. Half a crore signatures Thursday recommended 'immediate
were collected from Gujarat alone, all thanks to Modi. suspension' of Free Movement
Regime between India and Myanmar
to ensure internal security and
Unlike his predecessors like Nehru, Indira or Rajiv Gandhi, Modi has never felt compelled maintain demographic structure of
to engage in appeasement politics and therefore never paid obeisance to bloodthirsty India’s North Eastern states
Mughals and therein lies his greatness. While Modi has no qualms visiting the Ajmer bordering Myanmar
dargah, the Grand Istiqlal mosque in Indonesia or the Al-Hakim mosque in Egypt, here is
a proud Hindutva leader who is equally at ease wearing his Hindu credentials proudly on India's space regulator IN-
his sleeves and why should he not? More than 80% of India’s population is Hindu. SPACe releases plans for
30 launches over next 14
Related Articles months
Chennai-based Agnikul Cosmos is
scheduled to launch its first 3-D
printed rocket Agnibaan-SOrTeD for
the fourth quarter of the current
fiscal year. The maiden flight of the
Agnibaan rocket will be a sub-orbital
mission.

Why the Ayodhya Ram temple matters Gyanvapi: Truth, reconciliation and the Related Articles
Related Articles
way forward
Why the Ayodhya Ram
temple matters
IsJesus not celebrated at his birthplace in Bethlehem? Is the Prophet in Islam not There is something about
celebrated at his birthplace in Mecca? Is Lord Gautam Buddha not celebrated at his this land that accepts
everyone and makes
birthplace in Lumbini in Nepal? Is Lord Mahavir not celebrated at his birthplace in them their own
Kundalpur, in modern day Bihar? The answer to the above questions is “Yes”. That being
the case, why were Hindus denied their natural right to celebrate Lord Ram at his
birthplace in Ayodhya? That is because Hindus are inherently secular and waited Gyanvapi: Truth,
tolerantly for the Court verdict. There has now come a time in history though, when reconciliation and the
nothing can stop the collective consciousness of over a billion Hindus, the most peaceful way forward
community anywhere in the world. And that tryst with history is on the auspiciously The pressing need of the
moment is truth and reconciliation
eventful day of 22 January. regarding the Gyanvapi Mosque-Kashi
Vishwanath Mandir complex
Who are the reckless Opposition leaders who allege that Prime Minister Modi has
hijacked the Ram Mandir issue for political gains? Who are the Opposition leaders who
Ayodhya Ram Mandir
wrongfully accuse Modi of being majoritarian? It is that very lot from the Congress which
filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, denying the very existence of Lord Ram and the coverage shows why
Ram Setu. It is that very lot from the TMC in Bengal, Mamata Banerjee included, who have Western media can’t
no qualms offering namaaz on the streets but have a problem with the peaceful chants of decode Modi
Jai Shri Ram. It is that very lot from the DMK which equates Sanatan Dharma with Western outlets, in their portrayal of
Prime Minister Modi, have demonstrated
dengue, malaria and COVID-19. It is that very lot from the Samajwadi Party whose leader a lack of understanding, tending to
Mulayam Singh Yadav fired on unarmed Ram bhakts in 1990. It is that very lot from the depict him as a regressive and divisive
figure
RJD that calls Ramcharitmanas a hoax. It is that very lot from the AIMIM, Owaisi included,
who hail the Constitution to derive undue benefits under Articles 29 and 30, but when
instant triple talaq was criminalised and repealed within the ambit of Indian law, this Opinion | Narendra
radical bunch of bigots ran amok, disparaging the very ethos of the Constitution. Modi, Naya Bharat and
a war of narratives
In sharp contrast, if there is one party that has steadfastly furthered the Hindu cause, A new book that analyses
without being majoritarian, it is the BJP and if there is one fearless Hindutva icon who and explains Modi’s India without falling
into the trap of Lutyens’ Delhi
assiduously created an enabling environment for Hindus so that they do not feel
marginalised in their own homeland, it is Prime Minister Modi. Manmohan Singh threw
lavish iftar parties when he was the prime minister. Sonia Gandhi sent emissaries to the Bharat Ratna to Advani
Vatican for the canonisation ceremony of Mother Teresa. Mamata Banerjee has even proves yet again that
changed the name “Ram Navami” into “Rongo Navmi” in textbooks in Bengal. For the PM Modi is the master
longest time, thousands of crores were given as Haj subsidies by successive Congress
of political timing
regimes. The move carries forward the tempo of
the Ram Mandir movement by honouring
Is itnot a travesty of justice that these hypocritical Opposition leaders who repeatedly a man responsible for shifting the
Overton window and mainstreaming
demonised Hinduism under the garb of secularism, have the audacity now to lecture the Hindutva as a political ideology
BJP on the Ram Mandir? How can wearing a skull cap and throwing iftar parties at the
cost of taxpayers be considered secular, but celebrating a Ram Mandir be communal?
Think hard about that. Those who allege that there can be no Pran Pratishtha unless the I.N.D.I.A. alliance in
temple is completed,are peddling lies. Only the construction of the “Garba Griha” or the disarray after Nitish's
sanctum sanctorum needs to be completed before the Pran Pratishta ceremony happens exit: Congress,
and the Garba Griha is ready. Those who say the Shankaracharyas have refused to Gandhis must take
endorse the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla, forget that India has over 33 crore gods responsibility for this fall-out
and goddesses,12 Jyotirlingas, 13 Akharas including the Juna Akhara, over 7 lakh temples, The Congress and the Gandhis must
decide whether to cling to their fading
scores of Adheenams and over 60 lakh sadhus and seers. It is impossible to please
relevance as prisoners of the past or to
everybody. A vast majority of Hindus believe what will happen on January 22, 2024, should embrace the mantle of change, charting
have actually happened 500 years back. a new course for Indian democracy

Also, the former Shankaracharya of Kanchi peeth was arrested in 2004 under the watch
'Nehru thought Indians
of the Congress. Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati was mercilessly murdered in 2008,
are lazy and less
under the watch of the Congress. So the Congress party has absolutely no moral high
ground to lecture the BJP or anyone else for that matter, as it has used and abused intelligent': PM Modi
Shankaracharyas in the past, for political dividends. in Lok Sabha
Quoting excerpts from Nehru's speech,
Modi said, 'Let me read what Prime
Commencing on January 16, 2024, the Pran Pratishtha rituals will unfold within the Minister Nehru had said from the Red
sacred precincts of the Ram temple. The centerpiece of these rituals will be the Fort. 'Indians generally do not have the
habit of working very hard, we do not
installation of Ram Lalla’s new idol, meticulously carved from the black stone of work as much as the people of Europe or
Karnataka. This symbolic act is scheduled for January 17, when the idol will be placed on Japan or China or Russia or America'
an opulent golden throne. To facilitate the Vedic rituals integral to the consecration
ceremony, eight havan kunds will be arranged within the temple’s sanctum sanctorum.

Each kund will be assigned to a yajman (the beneficiary on whose behalf the rituals are
performed), a priest, and several assistants, ensuring the meticulous execution of the
ceremonies. A havan kund is a square structure where a sacred fire is kindled, and divine
offerings are made during a religious ceremony. The main rituals will be conducted by
Lakshmikant Dixit, a Vedic priest hailing from Varanasi, supported by a team of 121 other
priests. The sanctum sanctorum will witness the presence of 11 Vedic priests, including
Dixit, who will serve as the head priest orchestrating the sacred proceedings.

This landmark event on 22 January, 2024, is not only a celebration of spirituality but also a
testament to the unity and devotion of millions of Hindus who hold the Ram temple in
high reverence. Karl Marx once famously said, “Religion is the opium of the masses.”
Well, while religion alone can’t feed hungry multitudes, what is equally true is that
religion can be a binding glue that unifies a force that elevates citizens to go beyond the
call of duty, to achieve economic prosperity, tranquility and social harmony. The
consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22, 2024, cements this very idea of a new
India under Modi — an India that despite being secular in character does not deny its
Hindu population the unequivocal right of celebrating its gods and goddesses; an India
that celebrates innovation and entrepreneurship, but does not shy away from celebrating
with equal fervour the splendour of the Somnath temple and the glory of Kashi
Vishwanath and the Ujjain Mahakal corridors. And indeed, if there is a leader who has
infused in Hindus pride for their religion, it is Prime Minister Modi. Prior to May 2014,
Hindus were scared to wear bhagwa, adorn a rudraksha mala, wear the sacred kalwa on
their wrists or even smear their forehead with sacred vibhuti (vermilion). Today, Hindus
are not scared to reclaim their civilisational legacy, albeit within the ambit of law.
Despite winning a brute majority in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Modi government
left the Ram Mandir verdict to the better judgement of India’s apex Court, echoing Prime
Minister Modi’s unwavering commitment to India’s democratic ethos and its institutions,
the judiciary included. Hindus waited for 500 years, knocked on the doors of many lower
courts for over 134 years, before getting an opportunity long overdue, to rejoice at a
victory that had always been theirs for the asking, but something they had to patiently
strive for and wait for.

Blending religion and economics is not easy but it is not impossible either, especially
when the leader at the helm of affairs is Narendra Modi, who is both a proud and
unapologetic Hindu and a consummate statesman too. Modi is assertive without going
overboard, proud of his Hindu roots and yet endearingly and effortlessly secular.
Secularism comes naturally to PM Modi because Hinduism is indeed the only secular
religion in the world.

Unfortunately, the word secularism has become a much abused one over the last many
years. Since the days of Jawaharlal Nehru, the Congress has been dismissing Hinduism as
subaltern. Indira Gandhi buried the excavation reports of archaeologist B.B. Lal, who
found proof of temple remains under the Babri Masjid and reportedly stopped the
excavation work mid-way. Later, KK Muhammed, former Regional Director, North,
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), too found remains of a temple under the masjid
structure. Yet, many Western and Indian mediapersons, who know absolutely nothing
about India’s rich history or its complex polity, have the audacity to denounce Hinduism
and its magnanimity.

Leftist pseudo-seculars who have never once expressed grief or even regret at the
horrific genocide of Kashmiri Hindus in 1990, at the hands of bloodthirsty, radical
Islamists, have the audacity to lecture on secularism? Irony just died a million deaths.
Those who weep for Bilkis Bano have never shed even a crocodile tear for Shah Bano. The
likes of Rahul Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury and Mamata Banerjee who accuse PM Modi of
being majoritarian have not once condemned the ISIS-style beheading of Kanhaiya Lal in
Udaipur or Umesh Kolhe in Amravati. These people were beheaded by radical Islamists
only because they believed in their faith ( aastha ) in Lord Ram.

On 22 December, 1949, Uttar Pradesh (then called United Province) Chief Minister Govind
Vallabh Pant, at the behest of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, ordered the
expulsion of Hindus from the temple of Ram Lalla. But Faizabad (present day Ayodhya)
District Collector KK Nair refused to implement the order, pointing out that the real
stakeholders were performing puja there and the move to expel them would lead to riots
and bloodshed. Nair was soon suspended from service. Like her father Nehru, Indira
Gandhi also scuttled the rights of Hindus by inserting the word ‘Secular’, via the 42nd
Amendment to the Indian Constitution in 1976. For many years post that amendment,
Hindus in India were pushed around, hounded and discriminated against, in their own
country, under the garb of secularism.

If anyone has any doubts on how the Ram Mandir can lead to an economic rejuvenation
of Ayodhya, one need not look far — the 182-m tall Statue of Unity, the world’s largest
statue, at Kevadia, in 2023 alone witnessed a footfall of over 1.3 crore tourists. Religious
and cultural tourism is something India has a natural flair for. Take for example, the
three UNESCO world heritage sites of Hampi in Karnataka, the ancient structural
wonder, the Ajanta caves in Maharashtra and the Taj Mahal in Agra, which see heavy
tourist traffic every year. The Ram Mandir is expected to outshine each of these.

Ayodhya gave the concept of Ram Rajya — where there is “no poverty, pain, grief or
discrimination”. Ram Rajya is a powerful idea that blends the Gandhian variant of a
“Welfare State”, with many characteristics of contemporary capitalism. Ram Rajya is
universal in its appeal and not merely limited to Shri Ram. In fact the 17 th century saint,
Sant Tukaram, extolled Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s reign as Ram Rajya. By using the
Ram Rajya slogan, Gandhi implied an ideal Rajya akin to the “kingdom of God on earth”,
where values of justice, equality, idealism, renunciation and sacrifice are practised. Also,
Ram Rajya is not a proselytising or polarising concept.

Can there be Ram Rajya without a Ram? The knowledge of Ram Rajya alone is not
enough, as Ram needs to be understood first before the Rajya. Knowing the hero is as
important as worshipping the hero. The spiritual fervour with which Hindus worship Shri
Ram and imbibe his ethos is evident in many respects, especially so with regard to
Prabhu Ram’s adherence to dharma, said the renowned Kidambi Narayanan in a
discourse. Prime Minister Modi’s greatest legacy is Hindu revivalism. Thanks to Modi,
millions of Indian youngsters today know why Ram is a hero.

The author is an economist, national spokesperson of the BJP and the bestselling author
of ‘The Modi Gambit’. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of
the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.

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Published on: January 16, 2024 20:06:01 IST

TAGS: Ayodhya Ram Mandir Babri Masjid Indira Gandhi Mamata Banerjee
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