Sangh Parivar puts government on notice, seeks law on mandir

NEW DELHI: The Modi government's elbow room on the Ram mandir seems to have reduced sharply, with a VHP-organised and RSS-supported show of strength in the capital calling for a swift resolution of the dispute with early construction of the temple.
“We are not begging for Ram temple but it is our right. It is not only our wish but also responsibility of the government and Parliament.We want that dignity of the judicial system and courts should be upheld and courts and the government should respect people’s sentiments rather than disregarding it... Mandir wahin banayenge is a long time pledge of the ruling party,” RSS general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi said.
The Sangh Parivar on Sunday put the government on notice, reminded BJP of its pledge to clear the way for construction of Ram temple and instructed them to bring a law to fulfil it at the earliest.
At the Dharm Sansad organised by VHP, which turned out to be a massive affair with 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh people (as per Delhi Police estimate) present at Ramlila ground here, the unambiguous stand of both RSS general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi and VHP working president Alok Kumar seems to have left the government with few options on bringing an ordinance unless the Supreme Court starts hearing the title dispute.
Alok Kumar virtually warned the government of serious consequences and said if a law for temple construction was not passed in the upcoming winter session, people’s anger might reflect in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. “We kept reminding the government for temple construction and requested all parties to extend their support for the temple. If a law is not made in the winter session, the government will have to face public anger in elections,” Kumar said.
VHP international president Sadashiv Kokje said demand for temple was not a political issue but an issue of self-respect for Hindus.
The no-more-waiting stance of the Sangh Parivar makes it difficult for BJP, which has maintained that it will wait for the SC to resolve the matter, a restraint influenced by the calculation that the court will strike down any legislation over a matter which is pending its arbitration.
However, remarks of RSS leaders and some prominent sants were telling and suggested that the Sangh Parivar is not prepared to jettison the credibility of its ‘mandir wahin banayenge’ pledge for the sake of the Modi government’s comfort level. Speakers seemed to be unconcerned about constitutional niceties as they thundered that the court ought to heed the feelings of Ram bhakts.
“Court and government should realise the resonance of demand for the temple. The huge crowd at Ramlila ground has created history. Ram is the salvation mantra for Hindu society,” said mahamandaleshwar and chief seer of Junagarh Akhara, Swamy Awadeshanand, who presided over the Dharm Sansad.
Mahamandaleshwar Parmanand served an ultimatum to the government and said, “Agar mandir nahi bana to Ram bhakt chup nahi baithenge (followers of Ram won’t sit idle if temple is not constructed).” He asked opposition parties to support the temple movement.
The SC had put off the hearing until January and all eyes will be on CJI Ranjan Gogoi and his colleague judges when they return from their winter vacation. However, by that time, Parliament’s winter session would have been over as the two Houses will be adjourned on January 8 and the government can clear the way for an ordinance, if it so wishes, by proroguing them quickly.
The gathering was instructive not because of the aggressive espousal of Ram mandir but also because of the numbers it attracted. The throng was 10 times bigger than the farmers’ rally held recently and showed that there is enough energy left in the movement which brought BJP to the centrestage. The Modi government will be loath to run afoul of the sentiment ahead of the Lok Sabha contest.
It was a massive VHP rally on the Boat Club lawns which had set the stage for the buildup for the mandir movement which led to BJP’s spectacular showing in the 1991 LS polls as well as in UP where it captured a majority in the state polls.
If anything, VHP showed that it is good at harnessing technology to draw in impressive numbers and amplify its message to those who were not present in Ramlila Maidan. The proceedings were telecast live on a YouTube channel launched specifically for the purpose. The organisers claimed that the crowd was so huge that they had to return more than 150 packed buses.
The huge crowd was also an apt reply to saffron detractors, who went on a mocking spree when a recent motorbike rally in Delhi was not well attended, to which RSS sources said it was only meant for raising awareness among people.