Shift in RSS’ perspective on Ram Temple for matter being issue of National Integration and faith?

New Delhi, Nov 3: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Suresh (Bhaiya ji) Joshi has demanded speedy resolution of Ram Temple whether by the Supreme Court verdict or through Parliament legislation. Moreover, there is a shift in the RSS' perspective as this is now being considered as an issue as national integration and pride not just the matter of faith.

Allama Iqbal is being quoted for calling Lord Ram Imam-e-Hind. The RSS has been getting gradually ready with its plans so its think tanks like Centre for Policy Analysis documented certain things when one of its report, which was prepared way before the SC judgment, says, "In the course of protracted disputes over religious places [with reference to Ram Temple], an impression was created that these issues are the criterion of 'India's secularism'. Had the establishment of fraternity (as per the original preamble of the Indian Constitution) been made the criterion to solve disputatious issues, they would have been resolved a long ago. In fact, the putative votary of secularism failed to understand that it cannot survive in a democratic country, if the majority community of the country bears a grudge against it."

"Religious issues are highly sensitive, the government should have positively interfered on such matters on the lines of Somnath Temple. Had the government done so, all matters would have been easily resolved. This intervention would not have made the government look 'less secular'" says the report. Unfortunately, the government allowed such issues to fester, which had a deleterious impact on social harmony of the country.

The report further says, "India's temples and religious places have been playing the role of unifiers even during turbulent phases of its history. They unite the people of various parts of the country and give them spiritual and sentimental connectivity. The Ram Temple issue should be viewed from this perspective. The construction of Ram Temple too should be seen from the perspective of national integration. And, it is incumbent upon minority communities - particularly Muslims - of India that they play their constructive role on such issues, which are important in nurturing national integration." The change in RSS' viewpoint seems to be from these intervensions.

But what exactly prompted the RSS and its other affiliate organisations to show such a hurry? Political reasons may be sighted by many as one among them but actually common people at unease over the delay of the matter. Actually the RSS leadership is feeling the heat from workers to get this matter resolved as soon as possible.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has been threatening to start a mass agitation but that had proved to be woolf cry proving them to be toothless tigers. But the war cry made by RSS Sarsanghchalak in Nagpur has changed the entire scenario in the country who had read the pulse of the people and energised the Sangh Pariwar cadre. A RSS functionary Durga Nand Jha said, "Decisions like this in which SC deferring the case till January without considering the sentiment of the community work as irritants for the majority community."

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah attends Diwali Baithak of the RSS at Thene which majorly discusses the way out and strategy for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath announcing 150 metre high statue of Lord Ram is plan of the same strategy to accomplish his one of the life-time wish of construction of Ram temple getting started there. It was already made clear in the coordination committee meeting of the BJP and RSS leaders in Lucknow in the presence of two joint general secretaries of the RSS - Dattatreya Hosabale and Krishna Gopal - that people are now agitated for any further delay in the construction of Ram Temple even by such people who don't subscribe to the ideology of the RSS-BJP.