By Gurnam Singh | Opinion |
On December 6, 1992, a young and rising party worker in the western state of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, helped organise the rally in Ayodhya that led to Hindu mobs tearing down the Century Babri Masjid, a mosque built in 1528 named after the then Mughal Emperor Babur. The ensuing communal riots across the country resulted in the deaths of over 2,000 people.
Today, on January 22, 2024, the same Narendra Modi, this time as the Prime Minister of the BJP Government returned to Ayodhya, to lead the inauguration of the Ram Mandir, a project that has been celebrated by supporters of the Hindutva ideology. While some hail it as a great day for India, others argue that it marks a concerning step away from the principles of secular democracy, further dividing a country known for its diversity.
In a nation boasting a myriad of languages, beliefs, and ethnicities, the consecration of the temple is seen by critics as a dangerous entrenchment and legitimation of the right-wing Hindutva project. Though the primary target appears to by Muslims, independent commentators argue that the project being enacted by these Hindutva extremists could bring more misery to ordinary Indians, regardless of their faith or lack thereof, particularly impacting religious minorities, women, and Dalits.
The act of erasing cultural history through the removal or destruction of monuments poses significant dangers, transcending the immediate physical impact on these structures. Such actions often result in the loss of tangible connections to the past, hindering a society’s ability to learn from historical mistakes, achievements, and diverse cultural contributions. The destruction of monuments can lead to a distorted understanding of history, as it risks erasing the complexities and nuances that shaped a particular period or civilisation. Indeed, far from restoring India’s past pre-Mughal glory, the kind of vandalism associated with cultural genocide can contribute to a loss of identity.
Today, right-wing Hindu groups and BJP politicians push a historical narrative claiming that Mughal-era mosques across India were constructed on the ruins of “razed temples.” This narrative, which demonises Muslims both past and present, poses a threat to thousands of mosques throughout the country. The strategy involves asserting that a mosque or Muslim structure was originally a temple, demanding archaeological surveys to support these claims, and waging legal battles to convert these structures into Hindu temples.
The meticulously orchestrated events in Ayodhya, given the past violence and current political context, should not be seen as a manifestation of dharma or righteous living but as politics of the most contemptible kind. The timing of the inauguration, just ahead of the upcoming national elections in Spring, raises suspicions about the political motives behind the grand ceremony. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi positioning himself alongside prominent figures such as Yogi Adityanath, the hardline Hindu monk serving as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and Mohan Bhagwat, the head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindu paramilitary organisation, there is good reason to believe that the shift in India’s political landscape towards the extreme right does not bode well for minorities.
Critics argue that no religious site, whether Islamic, Sikh, Buddhist, or Christian, is safe in a nation rapidly leaning towards a Hindu theocratic state. The foundation of the arguments often rests on mythological Hindu texts dating back thousands of years.
The call for minorities and advocates of secular democracy to unite against the rising Hindutva hegemony is urgent. Through the consecration of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya, the fear is not the creation of ‘heaven on earth’, but the potential breakup of the country, leading to widespread strife and conflict.
A surging BJP, flanked by the RSS and VHP, intoxicated by a sense of invincibility, forms a toxic combination that needs to be addressed in the upcoming elections. It is now incumbent upon opposition parties to form an anti-Hindutva alliance, aiming to defend and reconstruct the secular democratic state that India was established to be. The stakes are high, and the trajectory of the country’s future hangs in the balance.
Gurnam Singh is an academic activist dedicated to human rights, liberty, equality, social and environmental justice. He is an Associate Professor of Sociology at University of Warwick, UK. He can be contacted at Gurnam.singh.1@warwick.ac.uk
* This is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.
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The construction of Rama Mandir in Ayodhya – Why should Sikhs be very concerned? (Asia Samachar, 10 Aug 2020)
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