Mohan Bhagwat on Ram Temple consecration: ‘Jan 22 a beginning, end bitterness’

Saying that the consecration of the Ram temple is the “beginning of the campaign for reconstruction of Bharatvarsh”, Bhagwat adds: “In the devotional celebration of January 22, along with the reconstruction of the temple, all of us have resolved for the reconstruction of Bharat and, through it, pave the way for reconstruction of the entire world.”

Blaming “politics of appeasement”, he says: “After Independence, when the Somnath temple was unanimously renovated, the discussion about such temples started. A similar consensus could have been considered regarding the liberation of Ram Janmabhoomi, but the direction of politics changed. The selfish forms of politics such as discrimination and appeasement became prevalent and hence the question remained as it is.”

“On this issue, the governments did not even consider the wishes and sentiments of the Hindu society. On the contrary, they tried to destroy the initiative taken by society. The legal battle related to this, which had been going on since pre-independence, carried on. The mass movement for the liberation of Ram Janmabhoomi began in the 1980s and continued for 30 years,” he says.

“The history of our Bharat is the history of continuous struggle against the invaders for the last one-and-a-half thousand years. The attacks from the West in the name of Islam only brought complete destruction and alienation of society. To demoralise the nation and society, it was necessary to destroy their religious places; hence, foreign invaders also destroyed temples in India. They did this not once but multiple times. Their aim was to demoralise the Bharatiya society so that they could rule over Bharat unhindered with the weakened society,” Bhagwat says. “The demolition of Shri Ram temple in Ayodhya was also done with the same intention and for the same purpose.”

He adds that the strategy did not succeed. “In Bharat, the faith, commitment and morale of the society never diminished, the society did not bow down, their struggle of resistance continued. Therefore, repeated attempts were made to take control of the birthplace and build a temple there. There were many wars, struggles and sacrifices for Him. And the issue of Ram Janmabhoomi remained ingrained in the minds of Hindus,” he says.

Recalling that Hindus and Muslims fought the British together in 1857, he says there was a chance for reconciliation through banning of cow slaughter and “liberation” of Ram Janmabhoomi. “Bahadur Shah Zafar also guaranteed a ban on cow slaughter. As a result, the entire society fought together. Bharatiya people showed bravery in that war but, unfortunately, this war of Independence failed… British rule remained uninterrupted, but the struggle for Ram Temple did not stop.”

“In 1949, the murty (idol) of Bhagwan Shri Ramchandra appeared at the Ram Janmabhoomi. In 1986, the temple was unlocked as per the court order. In the coming period, the struggle of Hindu society continued through many campaigns and karseva. In 2010, there was a clear judgment of the Allahabad High Court. The efforts had to be sustained for final resolution of the issue at the earliest. On November 9, 2019, after 134 years of legal struggle, the Supreme Court gave a balanced decision after examining the truth and facts… Now, Paush Shukla Dwadashi Yugabd 5125 (reference to Hindu calendar), on January 22, the installation and Pran Pratishtha ceremony has been organised,” he says.

“The occasion of construction of Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya marks the reawakening of national pride. This also signifies the acceptance of the vision of life behind the character of Shri Ram by the modern Bharatiya society,” Bhagwat writes.

Calling upon people to inculcate Ram’s values in their lives, Bhagwat says: “Integrity, forgiveness with strength and bravery, sincerity and humility, compassion and care in dealing with everyone, gentleness of heart, and strictness towards oneself in performing duty etc – these are the qualities of Shri Ram that everyone should emulate… Efforts to bring it into everyone’s life will have to be made with honesty, dedication and hard work.”