Pran Pratishta Samroh – Consecration of Ram Temple at Ayodhya

 

Pran Pratishta Samroh – Consecration of Ram Temple at Ayodhya

I wrote about the Ram Janam Bhoomi Mandir at Ayodhya on August 7, 2020 on its Bhoomi Pujan (ground breaking ceremony) by PM Narendra Modi and wished that Let us hope that the Ram Mandir becomes an abode of Peace. The blog may be accessed at: https://diplomatictitbits.blogspot.com/2020/08/ram-janambhoomi-mandir-at-ayodhya-let.html

I was invited to the Pran Pratishta Samroh of Shri Ram Dham at Ayodhya on January 22, 2023 as a ‘Distinguished Guest – Vashist Mahnibhav’ by the organizers of this grand event in the

contemporary times. I humbly accepted the invitation (Apoorav Anadik Nimantran) and was all set to enjoy and avail of this great honour. But it was not to be as I could not finally make it due to the vagaries of weather. I would have been a good experience to be an eye witness to the ‘history in making’. It would remain a matter of regret and remorse for me.

The wheel of ‘tryst with divinity’ has come full circle. Bhagwan Ram ‘the Imame Hind’ as termed by Allama Iqbal has been enshrined in his destined abode, a magnificent temple at Ayodhaya. It must settle the heat and dust raised by avoidable acrimonious socio-cultural, historical and legal contentions of the varying factions. PM Narendra Modi after the Pran Pratiksha ceremony said in his address to the august congregation, “marker of a new era” and a “symbol of

Indian society’s patience, harmony and resilience”. He also linked the Temple with national transformation and added, “We have to vow to build Samarth (capable), Saksham (able), Bhavya (grand) and Divya (divine) Bharat.  RSS Chief, Mohan Bhagwat said that it was time to bury the bitter past and termed the Pran Pratishta event in an article as the beginning of a campaign to reconstruct “Bharatvarsh”, which is for harmony, peace and wellbeing of all. The Hindustan Times in its Editorial on January 23 rightly commented, “Invoking faith for national rejuvenation, however, could be a slippery slope. The nation’s charioteers on this

journey have to be firm in being fair and just to all citizens and keep unruly elements in check. The Republic’s founding document, the Constitution, should be the guiding light as the nation enters an unchartered geography.” I tend to agree with these observations. The lofty messages given by the PM Narendra Modi and Sarsanghchalak of RSS, Mohan Bhagwat should be viewed through the constitutional framework of India. With this, India would remain on rails to find its due space and share, in due course, as a democratic and civilized nation and the society large.

I have no reason not to believe what right-wing Hindu outfits like BJP and its affiliates and also their mentor RSS say about development of India as ‘Sab Ka Sath, Sab Ka Vikas, Sab Ka Visvash’ by way of inclusive growth. But they must understand, sooner the better, it cannot happen if we fail to retain and strengthen the inherent character of India as a ‘multi-cultural, multi faith, multi-lingual and a diverse’ society and also a ‘democratic and secular’ polity as enshrined in the constitution by our forefathers. I am a firm believer of an integrated and cohesive society and as such I fully support and endorse the RSS’s agenda of ‘Samrasta’ as there is no

other way.  We need to address and minimize the ‘trust deficit’ among the majority and minority communities on one hand and dalits and other socially weaker segments of the society on the other. Some of my friends, who do not approve of my supporting the Samrasta plank of RSS and accepting the invitation to the Pran Pratishta Samaroh, has shared with me a story which was getting viral in the social media about refusal to accept donations by the dalit community of a village, not far away from Ayodhya, for the Ram Janam Bhoomi Temple as it would desecrate the temple. This is how the so called high caste Hindus tend to treat dalit communities even after 75 years of India becoming a Republic. The lofty ideas of establishing a casteless society seems a far fetched reality. We need to answer and rectify the situation otherwise the suffering masses would not believe in allegedly ‘camouflaged agendas’. I am proud of India that is Bharat –

चिश्ती ने जिस जमीन पर पैगामे हक़ सुनाया;

नानक ने जिस  चमन में बेहदत का गीत गया

मेरा वतन वही है, मेरा वतन वही है