Politics in Ayodhya has taken several forms since the country’s independence. While Ayodhya, the city of Shri Ram, should have become independent with the independence of the country, it had to wait for several decades for its liberation! That too when Shri Ram is not just a name but a symbol of faith for crores of people. The Supreme Court’s ruling has put an end to the legal tussle that had been raging for the previous 100 years, but will the politics of votes in the name of Shri Ram end with the construction of the temple? This question arises from the Ram Janmabhoomi Ayodhya conflict, which has distorted the nation’s politics the most over the last several decades.
Ayodhya, which has been at the centre of politics for centuries, is once again at the centre of things. Era changed, time changed, circumstances changed and now the geography of Ayodhya is also changing. The construction work of the temple is in full swing. Today, the city of Ayodhya has become such a centre where it has become mandatory for every leader to cross the waters of political bridge by donning the robe of Hindutva and taking a dip in the flowing Ganga in the name of Shri Ram.
Ayodhya has emerged as the gateway to the political corridor, where personalities and groups that had previously shied away from Hindutva and Ram naam are now seen bowing down. The two most important topics in state politics are caste and religion. Politicians feel that if they can “break through caste and unite through religion,” they would be able to get the most votes, and the public is constantly the victim of their political scheming.
Here, too, the political lion has always eaten the bread by stirring common people against one another, under the guise of Shri Ram or Rahim, according to the situation. Ram naam has a long political history. With the support of the Congress, Baba Raghav Das ran for office in 1948 on the platform of Ram Janma bhoomi’s emancipation. This call for Hindutva and upliftment of Ayodhya was successful and as soon as Baba Raghav Das won the election, on the night of 23 December 1948, he opened the lock of the disputed premises, installed the idol of Ramlala and started to worship-kirtan. This marked the beginning of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and the Indian political revival in the recently sovereign nation! And the power of this movement was felt for the first time by Atal Bihari Vajpayee during the elections. He discovered that opposing Shri Ram, who had a strong hold over the minds, hearts, and souls of the populace, made politics extremely challenging. The nation cannot experience a spiritual or cultural revival without Shri Ram. Following this, the Ram Janmabhoomi movement acquired a political hue, while politics is still deeply ingrained in it, going beyond its initial religious, spiritual, and cultural roots.
Politicians continued to pursue their plans and the common people continued to suffer. Following the Babri Masjid’s demolition in December 1992, the Ram janma bhoomi controversy became a political platform for blatantly discriminatory Hindu-Muslim policies. The general public continued to suffer as political parties carried out their schemes and plans. Who knows how many lives were lost in this political game of religion, the sting of which is still raw and fresh in the hearts of the people. The demolition of Babri Masjid was not in any way related to religion or faith in the name of Shri Ram, rather it was just a golden opportunity to take the wave of Hindutva to its peak for political gain and governments capitalized on this opportunity from time to time.
In any case, it has long been an Indian custom to unearth corpses during election celebrations in order to discredit the other political parties. The building of the Ram temple gained prominence throughout the years as one of the key election-related promises, and it consistently worked to sway voters and the broader public. This time, too, the issue will prove to be a sure fire “panacea” for a specific party, as on the auspicious day of January 22, 2024, Ram Lalla will finally take his rightful place in the temple.
Following its independence, India developed in all spheres in line with the times, whether they were social, economic, geographic, or educational. Of course, in a democratic setting, politics also advanced, but it began to prioritise individual interests over those of the country. Numerous new groups emerged, and these groups grew daily like mushrooms. It was crucial to understand how weak humanity was if they were to continue to live and preserve their control. What possible shortcoming could there be in a religious nation like India than religion and faith? All political parties united with all religions, and the inevitable result occurred.
People who were striving for advancement were progressively drawn into the political maze in the guise of religion, which caused them to become more and more fragmented and provided all the parties with an opening to exploit these dispersed fragments. Politics in the name of Hanuman and Shri Ram has begun to gather steam from North to South. The Government of Telangana has set aside Rs 600 crore for the reconstruction of an extremely old Hanuman Temple. The last steps of preparations are underway for the reconstruction of Gujarat’s Dwarka. Building the Shri Ram Temple and developing Ayodhya have never been simple endeavours. All avenues of progress have been blocked by caste and religion.
It was never viewed solely through the eyes of “Ram” and his “Ayodhya.” He has consistently served as the conduit for the growth of parties. In particular, Uttar Pradesh politics has traditionally prospered under the shadow of Shri Ram. It’s possible that some who recite Ram’s name have never comprehended his principles, dignity, and ideals. Since Shri Ram was the monarch of the common people, if they had understood, the conflict between the mosque and the temple would not have arisen. Even the general public was ignorant of their Ram!
Ram Lalla will at last be able to live in his Ayodhya with dignity from January 2024. It is almost time for Ayodhya to return to Ramyug. Elections are quickly approaching, political fervour is growing daily, and the cry “Jai Shri Ram” is resonating not just nationally but globally as well. ‘Those who brought Shri Ram’ are growing in prominence and actively compared to ‘Ram’. The general people are supporting Ram in their cheers. The roti’s are ready, the pan is hot, and the dishes are garnished. I’m eager to try the hot roti’s right now.
