Sectarian tensions in India are expected to reach their peak this week as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate a temple dedicated to what they call “Lord Ram Mandir” on Monday. Observers fear that this move represents another nail in the coffin of the secularism that has long been the foundation of the country’s political system.
An article by American journalist Yasmin Serhan, published in Time magazine, reports that the temple has been constructed on a disputed site that once housed the 16th-century Babri Mosque in the northern city of Ayodhya. The mosque stood for several centuries before being destroyed in 1992 by what she described as “mobs” of extremist Hindu nationalists.
Rana Ayyub, one of India’s most famous journalists and a staunch opponent of the Bharatiya Janata Party, says that Modi has relied throughout his career on the establishment of the temple in Ayodhya “because he realized early on that the only way to become the people’s favorite was by rallying them around the Ram temple”.
She adds that this move “is the ultimate act he can do as a Hindu nationalist leader and the best timing to make the Indian Muslim a second-class citizen.”
Rana continues, “The destruction of the Babri Mosque remains an open wound,” saying, “To be constantly reminded of the scar, and now to be told that the entire nation celebrates this temple, which is built over a mosque; it’s like rubbing salt into a wound that is already deep.”
The extremists Hindus view the construction of Rama temple on the ruins of Babri Mosque as a major victory for Hinduism (European).
For Hindus, the site represents the birthplace of Ram Mandir, “one of the most sacred deities in Hinduism”.
According to the article, observers believe that the inauguration celebration will mark the unofficial start of Prime Minister Modi’s campaign for a third consecutive term, in elections to be held in the spring. For this reason, leaders of the opposing Congress party declined to attend the ceremony, seeing it as nothing more than “a political project that has been brought forward to reap electoral gains”.
While the Indian government and many Hindus look at the temple’s inauguration on January 22nd as a festive occasion with significant national and religious importance, observers fear – as per the Time article – that the event is yet another blow to the spirit of secularism in India.
Michael Kugelman, Director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, told Time magazine in an email that the events accompanying the construction of Ram Mandir “revolve around some of the most divisive religious and communal issues in contemporary India.” He added that the inauguration of the temple “conceals within it some of the most painful and contentious events in Indian history”.
One of the latest images of Babri Mosque before its demolition in 1992 (Al Jazeera).
Tens of thousands of Hindu faithfuls are expected to flock to the city of Ayodhya, which Hindu nationalist leaders call the “Hindu Vatican”, in analogy to the seat of the Christian Catholic Church.
Although the construction, which began in 2020, is not scheduled to be completed until December, the ceremony to be held on January 22nd is considered the official inauguration of the site, where religious rituals will be performed for several days to celebrate this occasion, which will extend beyond Ayodhya to include the whole of India.
For Prime Minister Modi, the construction of Ram temple is more than just fulfilling a Hindu nationalist promise made decades ago and a key project for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, according to Yasmin in her American magazine article.
The writer believes that with this inauguration, Modi is reinforcing his political legacy as one of the country’s most important leaders, especially as he works to transform India from a secular democratic state into a blatantly Hindu nation.
According to Yasmin’s article, the unveiling of the temple follows a number of other political actions taken by Modi in his pursuit to strengthen his government’s Hindu nationalist (agenda); such as the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019, which grants Indian citizenship to religious minorities from neighboring countries excluding Muslims, undermining the secularism mandated by India’s constitution.
Among that agenda was the revocation of the special autonomous status of Kashmir under India’s administration, the only state in the country with a Muslim majority.
Yasmin quotes South Asia Institute director Michael Kugelman, saying that the temple’s inauguration is “a strong expression of Modi’s election campaign strategy”, noting that Modi has linked the temple’s establishment with a series of infrastructure and social welfare projects, “In this sense, he combines Hindu nationalism with social care, both of which are distinctive pillars not just in this election; but are a hallmark of his broader policies. It’s a combination that underpins his success.”
