Temple of Ayodhya Ram consecration

art writing...

The Left parties said that the Union government's directive to close all of its workplaces for a half-day on January 22 in order to "allow employees to participate in the celebrations for Ram Lalla Pran Pratishtha at Ayodhya" was illegal. They said that this blatantly links the State with one religion and deprives government workers of their "choice" in regards to their religious convictions.

States under BJP leadership have issued similar directives, taking their cue from the Center.

Other Opposition parties, aside from the Left, are keeping a measured silence about the matter. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is being led by former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who previously stated that the Congress could not take part in the January 22 event because it was solely a "BJP-RSS" event. None of the opposition parties have objected to the Union government's decree for a half-day holiday, even though they are also not attending the event in Ayodhya.

"Violent abuse of authority"

"State Theocratic"

According to D. Raja, general secretary of the Communist Party of India, such an edict is a step toward establishing a “theocratic State.” Raja made this statement to The Hindu.

"The State is required by our Constitution to maintain its neutrality toward all religions and to avoid taking on any religious affiliation. This order will have serious ramifications and is a clear violation of the spirit of the Constitution, the speaker stated.

"The extreme realities of a high unemployment rate and growing costs of daily necessities cannot be concealed by the euphoria they aim to create around Ram Temple," he continued. 

"India's Ayodhya Temple Is a Massive Icon of Hindu Domination



When examined historically, none of these assertions hold up. However, Hindu nationalist organisations started using similar assertions in the 1980s to make the case that the mosque had to be demolished in order to make room for a new Hindu temple, announcing that Mandir wahi banayenge, or "The temple will be built right there!" Their years-long protests culminated in a violent outburst of anti-Islamic violence on December 6, 1992, when a Hindu mob of at least 75,000 people stormed Ayodhya and began to tear apart the Babri Masjid, brick by brick. Due to the mob's anti-Muslim bigotry, a large number of Muslims in Ayodhya left the city that day out of fear for their lives. Approximately 2,000 people were killed in religious riots that shook several Indian cities in the days that followed, the most of them being Muslims. The Indian government then ordered a probe that identified scores of individuals, many of whom are now prominent figures in the BJP, as having planned and instigated the attacks.

At a groundbreaking ceremony held in August 2020, Modi set the foundation stone. Accompanied by his fellow Hindu nationalists, he will consecrate the Ayodhya temple, completing the task started over thirty years ago by the BJP and other Hindu supremacists.

Nevertheless, there will be noticeable absences from the event. Opposition Congress party leaders have decided not to participate in the celebrations, citing their legitimate concerns about the consecration being more of a political ploy than a religious rite. Even some prominent Hindus concur, claiming that the incomplete state of the Ayodhya temple precludes its consecration and hence goes against Hindu scriptures. They also take issue with political personalities who sow division, like as Modi.

However, in light of the BJP's prospects of winning another national election in India in May 2024, the Indian Prime Minister is determined to inaugurate an incomplete temple, even if it means upsetting Hindu religious leaders. Such demolitions can incite greater violence against the persecuted Muslim minority in India and strengthen the notion that Hindus are the only people who belong there.