To counter the Opposition narrative on the Pran Pratishtha ceremony as a “political” event, the RSS, its affiliates, like-minded intellectuals, authors and academics have come up with their literature and started social media campaigns “based on their research” to promote Ram Temple as Bharat’s “civilisational” movement and its struggle for decades to find space.
Over the past week, at least two books have been released, which explain why Ram Mandir is not just about religion but also about ‘Dharma’ or Hinduism, a way of life.
At least half a dozen of these books on the history of Ayodhya are in the pipeline, News 18 has learnt. The latest one, ‘RAMJANMABHOOMI: How Hindus Won 500 Years Long Civilisational War’ by senior author and columnist Arun Anand, was released on Wednesday.
Last week, ‘Tryst with Ayodhya: Decolonisation of India’ by author and former MP Balbir Punj was released. The book dealt with the history of the occupation Ram Janmabhoomi by “invaders”. In fact, in the book, ‘Why Bharat Matters’ by external affairs minister S Jaishankar, Ramayana finds its mention. He tried to bring a ‘Ramayana-type’ theme to explain diplomacy and its historical relevance.
Talking to News 18, author and columnist Arun Anand explained why the right-wing academics call the Ram Temple as the most significant part of India’s as “civilisational” struggle and the ensuing movement.
“The struggle for construction of Ram Temple lasted for around 500 years. It began after the demolition of Ram Temple in Ayodhya by Babur’s forces. For Bharatiya society, Babur was an Islamic invader. He represented and practised a set of cultural values that didn’t believe in co-existence, whereas Lord Ram represents civilisational values that believe in ‘ Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the whole world is one family),” he said.
“The struggle for building a Ram Temple at Ayodhya, was thus, a civilisational war between these two sets of values. How Hindus fought this war and won it despite all odds is a breath-taking story that the world needs to know. As this story is not about merely a temple or a God, it is about the victory of ‘Dharma’ that is the soul of Hindu civilisation and Bharat,” added Anand.
A Cultural & Civilisational Movement, Not Politics: RSS
Even as the Opposition’s INDIA bloc refused to attend the consecration ceremony calling it as a “political” one, the senior RSS functionaries said they are mixing India’s social-cultural struggle for survival with their “petty electoral politics” for vested interest.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has embarked on Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra from Manipur has time and again called the Pran Pratishtha a ‘BJP-RSS’ event. Even though all the Opposition leaders denied to attend the Pran Pratistha ceremony, they have planned programmes around Ram or other Hindu deieties to mark the ceremony in their own ways.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his party colleagues organised a ‘Sundar Kand’ recital programme at a temple in Rohini on Tuesday, and sought the blessings of Lord Ram and Hanuman for the country’s progress. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced that she would visit the Kali Temple at Kolkata’s Kalighat area on January 22, the day of consecration ceremony. She would offer prayers at the Kali Temple and will take out an “all-faith rally” in the city post her temple visit.
Reacting to such statements and programmes organised by the Opposition politicians, a senior RSS functionary said, “They are talking like ignorant persons. They are blinded by their political ambitions and that is why they refused to attend the ceremony, when invited. Every practising Hindu will wish to attend the ceremony if given a chance, however, these politicians boycotted the ceremony. They have their different excuses like one called it a ‘BJP-RSS’ event, another used the ‘incomplete structure’ as an excuse. But they are failing to understand that Ram Temple is more than just a religious programme. Ram Temple has always been part of India’s history, its struggle against the foreign power, and a symbol of its old tradition and ancient civilisation.”
“We know that the Leftist Communist historian would always want to dismiss Ram calling him a mythological figure, and calling Hindu religion as ‘non-congregational’. But can they ignore India’s culture and tradition, which has always revolved around Ram Rajya? They only talk about the empires set up by the invaders, but they conveniently forget our ancient civilisation. We want people to know about the forgotten or covered up history. That is why, the RSS inspired authors and academics have done their research and written such books,” he added.
Arun Anand further said he wrote a first book on this issue in 2018 which was published in 2020 during Covid-19 restrictions. “However, much has happened after that and more importantly there has been a consistent attempt to equate Ram Temple to a religious structure, it is a Dharmic structure as it represents Dharma and Maryada, that is why Ram has been known as Maryada Purushottam. To establish this, I came up with this new and latest book on Ram Janmabhoomi,” he said.
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