Ram temple is not a political issue but a symbol of cultural continuity

The struggle for building a Ram Temple should be seen as cultural continuity rather than a political issue.

New Delhi, Feb 02: Two large Shaligram stones (fossilised stones considered holy) that will be used for carving an idol of Lord Ram and Mata Janaki for the Ram Janmabhoomi temple reached Ayodhya from Nepal.

Found only on the riverbanks of Kali Gandaki River that flows through Myagdi and Mustang district, Shaligrams is thought to be the place of Lord Vishnu, according to the scriptures. In mythological writings, Goddess Tulsi and Lord Shaligram have also been mentioned which can be read here. Because of this, these shaligrams gain a lot of significance and are regarded as exceptionally unique. The stones will be open for worship at 10:30 pm on February 2, said general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, Champat Rai, according to news agency ANI.

These twin stone slabs - weighing 18 and 12 tonnes each - have been put on display at several locations before reaching Ayodhya. The Ram Mandir Trust has set December 2023 as the deadline and the temple will be open for devotees from January 2024. It must be noted that the 2024 Lok Sabha electins are perfectly timed with the completion of the grand Ram temple.

But there's a long history that led to the re-establishment of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Ram temple not a political issue

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has been at the forefront of the Ram Mandir movement, aims to build a temple dedicated to Lord Ram at the site where the Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992. The saffron party has always been known for its commitment to the Ram Mandir, and it has made significant sacrifices to ensure the temple's construction. In the late 1990s, the saffron party lost power in four important state governments in India - Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi - due to its association with the Ram Mandir movement.

Despite the political losses, the BJP remained steadfast to this national aspiration. The idea that Lord Ram is more than a God, that he is the embodiment of Dharma, and the cultural-fountainhead of the nation, an idea which is so commonplace now, gathered strength in the national discourse in those years. This eventually paid off in the 2014 general elections, where the BJP emerged as the single largest party, and its leader, Narendra Modi, became the Prime Minister of India. The Jai Shri Ram chants once again reverberated in the nooks and corners of India in support of the Ayodhya-Temple. The saffron party's victory was seen as a mandate for the construction of the Ram Mandir.

However, it would be entirely wrong to assume that the BJP owes its current political dominance solely to the Ram temple issue. Between 1991 and 2009, the BJP's vote share hovered around the 20% mark. It was only after Narendra Modi assumed leadership in 2014 that the BJP crossed the 30% vote share threshold and got a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha, which increased further in 2019. It is now 'AatmaNirbharta' 'Amrit Kaal', 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' and 'Ek Bharat, Shreshta Bharat' that resounded in the party's corridors. At the core of BJP's new vision of India were administrative, institutional and electoral reforms. The saffron party may not be shouting from elevated pulpits any more, but re-establishment of the Ram Temple allegedly annihilated by India's first Mughal emperor is not a dream the party wants to silently relegate to the background.