The construction of Shri Ram temple at Ayodhya following the most awaited and important Supreme Court judgement is now just a matter of time. Many learned people including Nobel laureate consider Shri Ram a myth. That’s why whenever the question of building Ram temple is raised, they say with utmost negligence that a hospital or a factory should be made there to resolve the issue. How we consider the construction of Ram Temple is actually dependent on how we consider and evaluate Shri Ram in Bhartiya socio-cultural context.
Perhaps the English educated people entrusted with the judiciary have failed to realize the true importance of Shri Ram keeping in view the socio-cultural scenario of Bharat. No regular hearing was there giving top most priority to the said case. Nehru, the self-declared champion of western ‘secularism’ (who forbade Dr. rajendra Prasad to inaugurate the reconstructed Somnath Temple.) and subsequent pseudo-secular Congress governments at the centre did not give any top priority to such an issue which initiated the largest mass movement in the world-history involving near about 15 crores of people. Otherwise the judgement would have come within 1950-1960. Fortunately, the God has not given enough wisdom to crores and crores of people in Bharat and abroad to dare to consider Shri ram a myth. For them Shri Ram is the SYMBOL of EMBODIMENT OF THE HINDU WAY OF LIFE
Our age old Sanatan Culture, heritage is known as Hindu Culture in the world and even the honorable Supreme Court has defined it as not any community or religion, but as the way of life applicable to entire human being. Shri Ram is nothing but the embodiment or condensed form of that very way of life.Not only that, as a king of a tiny State like Ayodhya, Shri Ram has been being adored and worshiped from Mangolia, Vietnam,combodia to Muslim majority Indoneshia. Even Chengis Khan who conquered near about 1/3 of the world in his life time, is not so treated in his own country Mangolia also. That’s why Rabindranath said – Ramayana is the everlasting history of Bharatvarsha. Ramayana has showed the extent to which obedience of a Son to his father, sacrifice of brothers for each other, mutual trust between husband and wife and the duties of a king to his subjects can flourish. Rabindranath also said, “Shri Ram is even more closer to us than our own family members.” That’s why Bangali samaj adopted the pooja of goddess Durga at improper time I.e. (akaal bodhan) introduced by Shri Ram as the greatest festival of Purva and Paschim Banga. Otherwise the pooja of goddess Durga was in vogue since long before the period of Shri Ram. This shows the utmost closeness in between Shri Ram and the Bangali samaj.
CULTURAL NATIONALISM
Shri Ram doesn’t belong to Ayodhya or Uttar Pradesh or Hindi region only but to the entire Bharat. Cultural Nationalism has been prevailing everywhere in Bharat irrespective of local rulers or political power for Centuries after Centuries. As an invariable proof of that cultural unity Shri Ram is the Symbol of good behaviour (Sadachaar), culture and Ravana is the symbol of kidnapping other’s wife, bad behaviour (Durachaar) and perversion. For that reason, children are named throughout Bharat after the name of Ram, not Ravana.
Even the Ram – Ravana battle which is described by the foreign Pandits and their Indian Sycophants as a battle between Aryans – non-aryans, Aryans – Dravidas or North vs South, there are plenty of Ram centric names in that very South or Dravida region. Normally Ravan –
centric names are not in Vogue. In north the names are Ramchandra, Ramkumar, Ramswarup, Ramgopal, Ramkrishna, Ramsharan and in South Ramchandran, Ramgopalan, Ramkrishnan, Ramnathan, Ramtirtha etc.
DEMOCRACY
Shri Ram is the symbol of that democracy where the opinion of a sole individual is also important. On the contrary, in today’s democracy the opinion of 51 idiots or corrupts or selfish p
ersons get established. The values, honesty of 49 others have no importance at all. The person who expressed his suspicion about Devi Sita’s chastity was not any Muni – Rishi or Brahman but an ordinary laborer. Shri Ram could punish him rigorously for expressing such suspicion about the chastity of the empress. But instead of that Shri Ram sent Devi Seeta in exile giving due importance to his opinion. Like today, Shri Ram was not a ruler elected by voters so that we could cheaply conclude that just to win next election or to counterbalance the anger of voters or in today’s dialect just to save his chair, Shri Ram sent Devi Seeta in exile. But those extra learned people usually allege such. Where Gandhiji himself said,”the ancient ideal of Ramarajya is undoubtedly one of true democracy in which the meanest citizen Could be sure of Swift justice without an elaborate and costly procedure “(Young India 19 /09 /1929) He also said in ‘Harijan’ that, “The highest extreme of Democracy in our country is Ram Rajya.”
PLURALITY
Bharatiya society is not homogenous like European or other Asian countries but heterogeneous. Languages, dresses, food habits, way of worship – diversity is everywhere. Shri Ram gave due importance to that plurality. At the time of expedition he returned all the conquered States to the respective Kings giving due importance to the aspirations and expressions of local people. He didn’t kill any one of them. Even, despite of Lakshman’s interest in staying at Sri Lanka, Shri Ram returned the heirship of that state to Vibhishana. Hence, a powerful centre based on pure moral authority along with a number of smaller States full filling the local aspirations and expectations-Shri Ram was the pioneer of such Bharatiya concept.That’s why gandhiji said,” Ramarajya I.e. sovereignty of the people based on pure moral authority.” (Harijan 02/01/1937) and Ram Manohar Lohia called Shri Ram as the ‘symbol of unity.’
PIONEER OF NATIONALISM
When the people in all other parts of the world were nomadic or in migratory phase, Shri Ram uttered the following words in reply, when Laxman being spellbound at the prosperity of the golden Lanka asked Shri Ram to stay there permanently –
“Api swarnamayee lanka na may rochatay laxmanay
Janani janmabhumischa swargaadapi gareeyasi”
There is no doubt that this affection to one’s own birth place flourished as nationalism in due course of time.
SOCIAL COHESIVENESS
According to varnaashram system Shri Ram was Kshatriya. But during his vanavaas Shri Ram was not only accompanied with Muni-Rishis-brahmins-khatriyas and stayed in their Ashrams. But also He ate and stayed with vanavaasis of Dandakaranya-made friendship with them.He denied the assistance sent by Bharat from Ayodhya. He made contact with Vanavaasis and other local inhabitants in and around Dandakaranya, Organized and united talented and skilful persons, reform them and built up well trained regiments capable of fighting against the super powerful army of an advanced & civilized king like Ravana. Even breaking the customs of untouchability he made Guhak Chandal of his own, he accepted Guhak and shabari’s hospitality. Keeping in view the then socialcustoms and conservatism we could conclude in one word that it was revolutionary. But it’s a matter of great
regret that the English educated rulling people and bureaucrats have completely forgotten or knowingly neglected the path and tradition of Shri Ram. The cunning Christian missionaries are converting the innocent local residents of Dandakarany in the guise of charities. The Maoists are instigating them to be a terrorist by utilizing their anger resulting from prolong deprivation.
GOOD GOVERNANCE
As ‘Hindutwa’ is the way of life applicable to the entire human being,
‘Ram Rajya’ denotes that good governance through which that very way of life would be reflected in every sphere of a country such as social, cultural, political and economical etc. In ‘Ram Rajya’ the position of Dharma Danda ( Rule of ethics or principle) was above the Royal Sceptre. That’s why Gandhiji also repeatedly talked about ‘Ram Rajya’. Despite of being an ardent
worshipper of non-violence, he never talked about ‘Ashoka Rajya’.
REAL MARTIAL INTELLECT (Kshatra Buddhi)
Clever people should cherish the desire to conquer or win. Shri Ram is the pioneer in this respect. Killing of women is normally against the principle of a Kshatriya(warrior), but he killed Taarakaa. He also killed Vaali hiding behind a tree, because killing of the enemy whether male or female and
annihilation of the evil power by whatever means, just to establish peace and tranquility is itself Dharma. But the talkatives criticize him for this.
We shouldn’t forget that if the powerful miscreant like Vaali got opportunity, he would be indomitable by making alliance with Ravana and killing of both of them altogether would result in enormous casualties and destruction. Later, following this real martial(Kshatriya) intellect of Shri Ram, Shri Krishna killed Jarasandha, Chanakya killed Dhanananda or Shivaji killed Afzal khan. But its a matter of great regret that if following the path of Shri Ram, Nehru at the first hand accepted the proposal of air attack on the Chinese invaders, Bharat would haven’t to face a shameful defeat against China. Due to such callousness, stupidity or in the name tolerance, liberality we as a nation were infected with a sense of eunuchness. That’s why swami Vivekananda said, “We have to arouse this country now, we have to introduce the cult of Shri Ram at every home. And also, ” let’s begin the cult of Shri Ramchandra and Mahavir, drop all Vrindaavana episodes.’’
Therefore, undoubtedly we could conclude that Shri Ram In no way a God worshipped by a particular religious community. Actually Shri Ram was a historical stalwart who attained the dignity of, ‘national identity’ through his works and life. By destroying the temple at Shri Ram Janmabhumi, Babar actually wanted to destroy the above mentioned way of life, ideal of life, for which Shri Ram is the one and only symbol, so that, the morale of Bhartiya people break down. And as a result he could easily impose their jihadi thoughts, semitic ‘unitarianism’ instead of our religious pluralism “ekam sad vipraa vahudaa vadanti”. So,it was an attack on our Bharatiya sovereignty, socio-cultural-religious democracy and pluralism. The masjid at Ram Janmabhumi is the sign of that very invasion and our subsequent defeat. No independent Nation could bear such a sign of foreign invasion what we have been bearing for last 72 years. That’s why, construction of Shri Ram mandir is not just like the construction of any other ordinary Temple. It’s not merely a question of ownership of the 67 or 2.7 acres of land. It’s a question of a nation’s faith. It is the rectification of historical blunder on which basis we have reconstructed somnath Temple, removed the statues of foreign rulers, changed the names of many cities into its original. As discussed above, Shri Ram mandir is a matter of much wider importance than it. It is The SYMBOL of BHARAT’S-Sovereignty, Democracy & Plurality on the basis of pure moral authority as discussed above.
At the time of incarnation of Shri Ram there was no existence of Islam. So Shri Ram is the ancestor of not only every Hindu but also every Muslim born in Bharat. Muslims who are wholeheartedly Bhartiya can’t be proud for invader Babar. Shri Ram should be adorable for themselves also irrespective of their religious faith. The Muslims of Indonesia are it’s ideal example. Then, what is the problem with Bharatiya Muslims.
The final verdict is in line with the above mentioned thoughts and expressions. The long drawn dispute between the two sides has been settled. So so let’s hope that Bharat will proceed towards prosperity following the path of harmony.
Subrata Bhowmick
(The writer is an associate member of The institute of chartered accountants of India)