"The Constitution does not discriminate between the faith and beliefs of one religion and another. In its 2019 ruling on the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi ayodhya title dispute case, the supreme court stated that all forms of belief, worship, and prayer are equal.

The ruling constantly refers to Muslims being wronged by the vandalism and subsequent demolition of the babri masjid, the Constitutional imperative of religious equality, and the necessity to right the wrongs.

A little more than four years later, when the excitement around the ram temple in ayodhya — perfectly timed ahead of the 2024 lok sabha elections — sweeps the country, equality of all religions appears to be a meaningless slogan.

With the government endorsing majoritarian religious assertion in a secular country, those who refuse to participate in the spectacle have become natural enemies. More so for the fervent right wing, which sees the consecration process as a tool to beat people who disagree with its philosophy.

The government machinery
If one thought the installation of a Sengol in the new parliament building (that is supposed to be secular) amid Hindu religious chants from saffron-clad monks by prime minister Narendra Modi — who holds a Constitutional post — violated Constitutional values, his presence — first at the foundation laying ceremony at ayodhya in august 2020 and now on 22 january 2024, at the consecration ceremony of the temple — like a patron king of yore who presides over religious ceremonies — should put all doubts to rest.

It is an open support of a religious event by someone holding a constitutional position.

The consecration ritual has resulted in the abandonment of all pretenses of Constitutional morality, and pride.

Take, for example, the Union government's official Telegram channel for communication and citizen participation, MyGov Newsdesk.

Since january 15, the channel has solely posted religious infographics and materials with a countdown to the dedication of the Rama temple in Ayodhya.

The only exception was on january 19, when the station promoted "Viksit Bharat".

Employees have been offered half a day's leave on 22 january to "participate in the festivities" if Union pastors zealously publicizing the consecration event was not enough endorsement.

The transformation
The babri masjid was demolished in full public view in Independent India. All of the primary suspects in the case, including top members of India's ruling party BJP, have been acquitted.

It's as if nobody demolished the Babri Masjid. However, in its stead, a beautiful, albeit unfinished, Rama temple awaits its consecration ceremony on january 22nd.

Majoritarian bullying may be an insufficient phrase to describe the act of a majority community mob destroying a minority community's place of worship.

As devout Hindus prepare to celebrate "Ramlalla's return" to his purported birthplace, a frenzy has gripped the rabid indian right wing, for whom the 22 january event is less about Bhakti and Lord Rama and more about taunting minority Muslims — fellow citizens of this country — and showing them their place in make-believe "Hindu Rashtra".

A large section of Indians, particularly Hindus, have always been guided by Constitutional values of liberty, equality, and fraternity, as well as a moral sense of right and wrong, in their stance on the disputed site at ayodhya, the unlawful demolition of the babri masjid, and the violence that ensued.

These Indians/Hindus have been under siege from the aggressive right wing in the run-up to the consecration ceremony at the ayodhya Rama temple.

For them, these Hindus deserve to be mocked, ridiculed, and harassed for choosing to divorce faith from politics, devotion from fanaticism, and belief from electoral posturing.

After all, how can a practicing Hindu fail to attend the all-important ceremony on january 22nd and instead reflect that it was more than simply a structure razed in 1992, but the cornerstone of brotherhood across indian groups?

The Mindset
A religious celebration at a Hindu temple in a place with a violent and bloody past has been transformed into a statewide spectacle of majoritarian religious assertion in a country proclaimed secular by its constitution.

From schools hoping to reside stream the sanctification function to Occupant government assistance Affiliations convincing inhabitants to partake in extraordinary petitions, from traditional media houses restricting with multiplexes to screen the service with popcorn to tv stations continuing from exceptional shows on ayodhya to running unique inclusion transports to the sanctuary, from Hindutva outfits going house to house to request that individuals hold unique poojas to private carrier group taking on the appearance of Hindu gods, from private firms proclaiming occasion to staff to the Association government requesting that its representatives require a portion of a day's leave, even AIIMS delhi shutting its OPD administrations: The consecration ceremony is now seen as a national demonstration of majoritarian consensus.

All of this happens while minorities whose places of worship have been razed are forced to remain silent while the media, other citizens, and politicians pretend they do not exist.

And if you refuse to participate in this frenzy or point out its violation of Constitutional ideals, you will be denounced as a traitor, anti-Hindu, and a hindrance to the process of majoritarian intimidation.

The media and public deliberately avoid recalling that kar Sevaks went on a rampage in ayodhya, assaulting Muslim homes after toppling the Babri Masjid.

At least 18 Muslims have been slain. At least 23 local mosques were demolished, and Muslim-owned establishments were set on fire. Over a thousand Indians, including Hindus and Muslims, were slain during riots across the country.

The Current Atmosphere
When going to school Muslim females are barred from attending lessons because they wear hijab over their uniforms, yet schools are eager to support live-streaming of the consecration event in ayodhya, a clear illustration of majoritarianism.

If you insist on this being the norm, you are engaging in majoritarian bullying. Dare to call it out, and a whole ecosystem of the extreme right-wing is waiting to condemn you for being a terrible Hindu.

There is no place for such a Hindu, as RSS leader ram madhav defines the consecration event in his column, who refuses to be a part of this "spectacle".

The extreme right wing's disgust with dozens of Hindus who refused to support the consecration ritual drips from their lips.

The largely nameless and faceless trolls, as well as the occasional "influencer" accounts followed by Union ministers and the prime minister, are united in their response to Hindus who refuse to participate in the show.

The frustration over scores of Hindus not taking the bait is palpable, from the basic "go to Pakistan," "blot on hinduism," and "traitor" to the more ideological "sickular" (a portmanteau of "sick" and "secular"), "libtard" (a portmanteau of "liberal" and "retard," as if being a liberal is a sin), "urban Naxals," and the targeted "Hindu-hater," "Muslim-lover," "rice-bag convert," and the more abusive words that I refuse to platform.

This ecology has not spared religious leaders who have condemned the consecration ritual. What chances does a pragmatic Hindu have?

So what if none of the four Shankaracharyas attend the event, despite the fact that two of them have specifically said that it violates Shastras? The ceremony will be led by prime minister Narendra Modi, the highest-ranking Hindu.
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Hindus

SIBY JEYYA

21/01/2024 10:43 AM