Ram too deserves justice

The apex court of the country by its order made on 16th January directed issue of notice to Union government and the Gujarat government to a...

The apex court of the country by its order made on 16th January directed issue of notice to Union government and the Gujarat government to answer the allegations made in the letter addressed to the Chief Justice by Magsaysay award winner Kiran Bedi as to the awful state of the birthplace of the Father of the Nation, Mahatama Gandhi, at Porbandar.

In her letter addressed to the Chief Justice of India she said: “I am distressed to bring to your notice that the house and the vicinity was enveloped by the foul smell of the dead. On enquiry, I was informed that not far from this national heritage, persons involved in the fish trade, dry the fish catch on the shores before sending it to different destinations. Due to this practice the entire area stands polluted with the smell of decaying fish…Nothing would change without the intervention of the highest judiciary.”

In its turn the Court observed that the matter is of great national significance as Porbandar is known the world over as the birthplace of theMahatma and therefore some urgent steps are required to be taken to remedy the situation. The court appointed a team of three advocates to assist the court in this matter on the ground that it requires in-depth investigation. It is also reported that Kiran Bedi has taken a vow to convert Mahatma Gandhi’s birthplace at Porbandar into a “real pilgrimage.”

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The news is most distressing as well as encouraging. Distressing because of the sorry state of affairs at the birthplace of the greatest national hero of the century. Encouraging because not only Kiran Bedi has taken up the issue but also the apex court has initiated immediate action to do justice to the birthplace of Mahatma.

On reading the news report what immediately occurred to my mind was about the birthplace of Ram’. It is well known that Mahatma Gandhi was the greatest devotee of Ram. His most favorite prayer was: Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram/Patita Pavan Sita Ram

Even as he fell to the assassin’s bullet, he uttered the word Ram’. On his Samadhithere is the inscription he ram. He pleaded for the establishment of an ideal Rama Rajya after independence. C. Subramanyam in an article published in the Bhawan’s Journal dated 15th April 1995 said: “In the past the King was not only a symbol but was the Ruler and Administrator and King had to observe the Dharma of the Ruler functioning in a selfless manner for the prosperity, harmony and happiness of his people. This is Gandhiji’s concept of Rama Rajya.”

From all these it follows that the birthplace of Rama also being a place of pilgrimage it requires similar justice. Just as the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi at Porbandar is known as such the world over, so also is the birthplace of Rama at Ayodhya.

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In this regard it is sufficient to extract the relevant portions of New Encyclopaedia Britannica: “Ayodhya also called Oudh or Awad town, Faizabad district Uttar Pradesh State, North India…There are few surviving monuments of any antiquity. Rama’s birthplace is marked by a mosque erected by the MuhgalEmperor Babar in 1528 on the site of an earlier temple.”

Unfortunately, the issue of the birthplace of Rama is regarded as religious and had been politicised. Rama had nothing to do with religion. He did not establish or propagate any religion. He is not God of Hindu conception like Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara or Ganpati, Lakshmi or Saraswati. The fact temples are built for him makes no difference as temples are built in this land for many holy personalities. Therefore the fact remains that Rama was only an ideal ruler and more than that an ideal human being and therefore even after thousands of years after he ceased to be in power he occupies the hearts of millions. Therefore, justice should be done to the birthplace of Rama also. Whether one prefers to call it Rama Janmasthan Temple or National Monument, it makes no difference. The monument should be built and maintained befitting the name of Rama.

The writer, a former chief justice of Punjab & Haryana, is the author of Dharma: The Global Ethic’