If you are an Indian, I am sure you have already got an invitation for the 22nd of January, 2024 for one of which could be called the biggest event in recent times: Ram Mandir Inauguration.
I am not sure how many of us remember the Ayodhya conflict where there was a dispute between the Hindus and Muslims vying for dominance over the land. Ram Mandir has been constructed in the same land where Babri Masjid was demolished during a riot in 1992.
A case was filed in the court since the Hindus believed that a temple existed in the same land before the construction of the Babri Masjid. In 2010, the Allahabad High Court decided to distribute the land to three parties. One part went to the Hindu group represented by the Vishva Hindu Parishad, another to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, and the remaining part to Nirmohi Akhara, a Hindu religious group. The court acknowledged the existence of the temple at the site before the mosque.
However, another petition was filed to the Supreme Court in 2019 demanding the entire land to the Hindus, since Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Ram. The Supreme Court pronounced its verdict, announcing that the land would be given to the government on tax records to make a “Hindu temple” and an alternate land would be given for the construction of the Masjid.
I believe the clear inclination of the government towards Hinduism is not something we don’t know. Ram Mandir is another example of the nation falling for religious and fascist traps in the disguise of cultural heritage and unity.
In reference to the popular epic, “Ram Rajya” was often regarded as an example of the perfect state. However, it must be noted that the Ramayana that we grow up reading hardly sheds any light on Ram, the king. The story begins with Ram’s birth and ends with Sita’s committing suicide.
So, what Ram Rajya is, is a mystery to many Indians including me. The qualities that we find on the internet are rather too generalised. If the government is trying to win vote banks with this grand ceremony of Ram Mandir, it is probably going to work.
The question that has persisted in my mind for the longest time is would Lord Ram have spent crores of money to construct a temple if the people of his state were starving?
Ram Mandir is great. If we can have a Taj Mahal, why not a Ram Mandir?
While the Taj Maha was built for the love of Mutaz Mahal, Ram Mandir is for the love of the Lord himself (and votes). But is it okay to feed Ram Mandir in the collective consciousness of the nation and encourage dislike and hatred against those who wouldn't feel included in the celebration even if they have high regard for Lord Ram?