Hindus have got justice after five hundred years of historical oppression and atrocities.

The consecration of Ram temple to be held in Ayodhya on January 22 is a new beginning in many ways. There are continuous attacks on BJP from the opposition parties regarding life and prestige. The opposition is criticizing the BJP for playing politics on the temple, i.e. bringing religion into politics. The opposition is trying to present the issue one-sidedly with its criticism. Opposition parties are arguing that the government’s involvement in such a function in a secular country is a way of promoting Hindutva which goes against the Constitution and does not take into account the sentiments of minorities. But the reason for the opposition’s anger is not just the imaginary caliphate of the Constitution. There are many aspects of the consecration of Ram temple which need to be considered. These aspects also reveal the real reason for the opposition’s anger.

First of all, due to the construction of a grand temple at the birthplace of Lord Shri Ram in Ayodhya, Hindus have got justice after five hundred years for the atrocities and atrocities committed in history. This is not only the correction of a historical wrong but also a way out of the pain of foreign invasions that have been happening continuously for a thousand years. Along with this, this Ram temple is a symbol of pride in Indian cultural values. Even after India got independence, it took a long time for the people of the country to come out of the mentality of slavery. The country getting independence from the British in 1947 does not mean that India came into existence in the same year. Without saying this directly, the opposition’s stance has been such that it has indirectly been denying India’s thousands-year-old culture. But now most of the people of the country are not only proud of being Indians but are also getting more and more connected to Indian culture.

Second, the opposition is projecting the construction of this temple as a divisive move that does not take into account the castes, tribes and sub-castes within the Hindu religion in the name of Hindutva. But if we look at the Ram temple being constructed in Ayodhya, this argument also proves wrong. Along with the temple of Lord Shri Ram, many more temples are also being constructed in the same complex. These also include temples of Shiva, Annapurna, Bhagwati, Ganesh, Hanuman, Surya, Valmiki, Vashishtha, Vishwamitra, Jatayu and Shabari. Of these, Valmiki, Vashishtha, Jatayu and Shabari are considered as their ancestors by many backward castes and tribes of India. Hanuman, whom some tribes consider as their ancestor, is worshiped by people of all classes. Ram temple is associated with the faith of all Hindus but at the same time it is also inclusive of the diversity of Hindu religion.

Third, apart from keeping in mind the traditional diversity of castes, the construction of this temple also represents the classification of castes made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi has said that four castes are important for him and his government. These castes are the poor, farmers, women and youth. Along with the construction of Ram temple, there has been a lot of development in the infrastructure of Ayodhya, which also includes railway station and airport. Due to the Ram temple, Ayodhya has now emerged as a major pilgrimage destination of India, which will give a continuous boost to tourism. Promotion of tourism will also give a boost to small and big industries in Ayodhya and its surrounding areas. This includes hotels, restaurants, transport, sweet shops, puja material shops, flower shops etc. By promoting these industries, the poor, farmers, women and youth will get new employment opportunities. This will benefit the castes that Modi has mentioned in his priority.

Opposition parties, especially regional parties, depend on particular castes or classes for their politics, such as backward castes and the poor. But the construction of Ram temple has now made a huge dent in the vote bank of the opposition, which is the real reason for their anger. The construction of Ram temple is a challenge to the old system. Instead of developing castes from a narrow perspective, political parties used them to win elections. While on one hand the sentiments of crores of Hindus are being respected with the Ram Temple, on the other hand the politics of India is also changing. Two important messages are sent from Ram temple. Firstly, to be proud of Hindu religion is to deny its diversity. Second, respecting faith does not mean ignoring development. Ram temple proves that faith and development are linked to each other. That is why the construction of Ram temple is a new beginning for the entire country.

-Niranjan Marjani