After making several hot attempts to rack the Ayodhya issue again during the last 4-6 months, the Hindutva organisations announced (February 5) to abandon the agitation for now “till next government is in place.”
To kick-start the mass movement, the VHP had organised a two-day conclave (2-3 November 2018) under the banner of “Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti” in Delhi. At the end it issued a “Dharmadesh” demanding the Government to immediately bring in a law to acquire the Waqf land in Ayodhya, including the plot upon which Babri Masjid stood for over 465 years, to build proposed Ram Mandir. Some two dozens high ranking and hundreds of other Hindu “saints” participated therein. They issued a warning, “We will not compromise on anything less than the Ram temple” and declared, “Nothing can stop the construction of the temple now.”
That was followed by a “Dharam Sabha” (25 November 2018) in Ayodhya. A leader threatened, “Youth can go to any extent on the Ram Janmabhoomi issue”. Extending the ambit of the demands, he also invoked the issues of Gyanwapi Masjid of Banaras and Eidgah of Mathura. The organisers had made efforts to mobilise 4-5 lakh people for the event, but the turnout was barely 4-5 thousand.
The same day RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat addressed VHP’s “Jan Hunkar Rally” in Nagpur. He endorsed the call made by “Sant Samiti” in Delhi and directed the Modi government to “immediately bring in a law”. He said, “If the top court … is failing to give priority to the case, it is up to the government to quickly bring in a law.”
This month a highly hyped two-day “Dharam Sansad” was organised on the occasion of Kumbh at the banks of the Ganga in Allahabad to discuss the issue. Among others, the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Gen. Secretary Suresh Bhaiyaji Joshi and Assistant General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale attended the Sansad. Without mincing words, Mr Bhagwat said, “It would be good if it is constructed in the next four to five months (before L S elections). However, if it is not done, we will see that it gets done for sure.” He did not give any clear indication to postpone the on-going moves, as the crowd started demanding to fix a date to start the work.
A day before the Sansad began, a “Param Dharma Sansad” under Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati concluded with a resolution to lay the foundation stone for a Ram temple on February 21. The Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad supported the proposal. The sadhus gave a call for a march to Ayodhya for the purpose and dared to face the gun-shots if prevented.
Besides these events, the VHP has been holding dharma sabhas across the country in recent months to mobilise mass support for an ordinance to enable construction of temple immediately. BJP President Amit Shah also raised the issue during his address to booth workers at Aligarh and asked the Congress, SP, and BSP to clarify their stand on the Ram temple. He said, “All the saints are asking what would happen to the Ram Temple? The BJP wants that a magnificent Ram Temple be built at the same spot, as soon as possible. From this dais, I want to ask the Congress, SP, and BSP to clarify their stand on the issue.”
The Alibi of U-Turn
What forced VHP/RSS to retreat from its known stand and announced after emotionally surcharged speeches at “Dharam Sansad” that it will not hold any agitational programme on the issue until the Lok Sabha elections are over. This surprise announcement came barely a week after the BJP-led NDA government, in a political move, approached the Supreme Court, seeking permission to return the 67 acres of the land in Ayodhya – adjacent to the Babri Masjid site – to its original owners, including the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas. And Yogi Adityanath, the C.M. of UP, announced, “If the court can’t decide, let us take it forward. We will resolve the Ram Temple issue in 24 hours.”
Mr Alok Kumar, International Working President of VHP, told the Indian Express: “It has been decided because everybody has a feeling that such agitations at the time of elections, including the demand of building a Ram temple, become a petty electoral issue and get involved into politics.”
Mr. Surendra Jain, Joint Gen Secretary of VHP, gave another reason. He said that the central government has taken a positive step by moving the Supreme Court to get back the “undisputed” land. “Now if we announce any agitation or movement, it will be said that we are doing that to help a particular political party in elections.” He further said, “We do not want to allow anyone to drag this issue into politics.”
The wisdom
What a great wisdom, dawned upon after decades! Can anybody deny that the roots of the moment lay in Advani’s “Ram Rath Yatra” (Sept-Oct 1990) which politicised the issue beyond limits? As the Indian Express editorially pointed out, “Of course, this sudden discovery of scruple and compunction over the politicisation of the sensitive matter does not quite ring true. It may be that the VHP decision has actually been forced on it by the belated realisation that the fervour which framed the Ram temple issue in the early 1990s has dissipated, cannot be worked up again.”
As this magazine reported (9 Dec 2018 | Vol. LVI No. 37), the turnout in VHP events had been hopeless. This made the Sangh Parivar understand that the race of 2019 cannot be won by flogging a lifeless horse.
Other Reasons
From the recent debacle in five assembly elections and the assessment of public mood, it has become clear to the RSS that bad policies and autocratic style of functioning, rampant unemployment, corruption all around, disenchantment in farmers, bungling in Rafael deal and controversies around CBI, etc. will wreck the Modi’s boat in elections. As The Citizen reported, referring to “well-placed sources”, that RSS is almost certain that BJP under Modi-Shah could drop even below the 200 mark in Lok Sabha. In such a case the BJP, the political wing of RSS, will require at least 80 another seats to remain cling to the seat of power at the centre.
It is reported that the RSS has discussed such post-poll scenario with regional leaders who are currently opposing the BJP, but have been in the NDA governments earlier or have a soft corner for BJP. The consensus from these talks is that Modi will not be acceptable at all. However, their support be relied on provided Modi is out. These parties are also opposed to the Mandir plank, so dear to the BJP. In any case, RSS will not afford to be out of power corridors after polls which will mean losing some of the benefits earned in the last five years.
Lack of veracity
In this scenario, let’s judge the veracity in the stated motive of abandoning the Mandir plank which had been so dear to the BJP to make it a poll issue. The resolution, passed by the “Dharam Sansad” on 7th February 2019 on the banks of the ‘Holy Ganga’ on the occasion of Kumbh festival, states: “An election is the national festival of democracy… The Sant Samaj shall not give the pseudo-secular pick the opportunity to drag this holy and important movement of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi into a political vortex and swamp. Therefore, we are not announcing any new phase of the movement now.” It adds that its “on-going programmes will continue.”
Whatever be the reason, let’s welcome the development which is potentially good for the communally disturbed atmosphere of the country.
[The writer is a Civil Rights activists based in New Delhi. Email: [email protected]]