It has been nearly 25 years when the Babri Masjid, that symbol of India’s enslavement by foreigners was brought down by a crowd. The long running and wildly successful Ram Janmabhoomi Aandolan came to an end when the domes of the Mosque came crashing down. While the Aandolan erased the sight of the Mosque that was installed by foreign invaders, it failed to restore the sacred land of Lord Rama‘s birthplace to the Lord himself. Petty politics, communal vote banks and an indecisive judiciary put paid to the idea of a magnificent temple to Lord Rama being constructed at the spot where had taken birth eons ago. To this day, the idol of Ramlala sits installed in a dirty corner under a Tarpaulin roof in Ayodhya, awaiting the day when it would be restored to the honour and dignity that it deserves. Over a period of time, Ayodhya, the land of Lord Rama’s birth, became synonymous with violence and bloodhshed. Political leaders avoided visiting the town and the makeshift temple, fearful of antagonizing their votebanks. Ayodhya was progressively erased from public memory, reduced to a dusty, impoverished town in Faizabad district. And so it had been till 31st May 2017.
The BJP swept the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh held earlier this year. The party chose the charismatic, saffron clad Yogi from Gorakhpur to bring development to Uttar Pradesh. Yogi Adityanath won his laurels as a fearless and straightforward mass leader who espoused a non-minority appeasing brand of secularism.
Yogi Adityanath has historically been at the forefront of the Ram Mandir movement. In one of his first steps as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, he merged the Ayodhya and the Faizabad Municipal corporations to create the Ayodhya Municipal Corporation, significantly dropping Faizabad, historically the more politically correct appellation for the area.
In the aftermath of the CBI’s decision to charge senior BJP & Ram Janmabhoomi Aandolan leaders with criminal conspiracy, Yogi Adityanath, in a politically symbolic move took a chopper to reach Ayodhya. Driving straight to Hanumangarhi, he prayed at one of the oldest Hanuman temples in the country. Then, following established tradition, he prayed at the makeshift temple of Ramlala at Ayodhya.
Yogi Adityanath’s actions flew in the face of established norms of pseudo secularism followed by all political leaders of the state. No Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, including those of the BJP that claims to stand for a Ram mandir at Ayodhya, has ever propitiated the deity at the site of his birth. Even Kalyan Singh, widely recognized as a hardline Hindutva leader, never visited Ramlala while visiting Ayodhya. Yogi Adityanath, who already enjoys a mass fan following was thronged by crowds during his visit to the temple town. Cries of Jai Shri Ram and Mandir wahin banayenge reverberated in the air. Observers noted that it seemed like 90esque, Ram Mandir Aandolan times in Ayodhya. With great power, comes great responsibility though. Yogi Adityanath was quick to point out to the crowds that while his aspirations and sentiments were no different from that of the masses, he would prefer the dispute to be resolved through dialogue between communities, adding that several Muslim organizations have called for Ayodhya to be given to Hindus. The deed though had been done. The web of political correctness that had kept devotees away from Lord Rama had been torn asunder.
For 25 years, the idol of Lord Rama has been lying under a Tarpaulin tent in a dusty corner of the town. Far from getting a grand, magnificent temple to itself, it has never ever attracted the glare and attention of our political leaders. The symbol of India’s nationhood, Maryada Purushottam, the King of kings and God of Gods has been sacrificed at the altar of political correctness. It took 25 years and a man of Yogi Adityanath’s mettle to give Lord Rama the bare minimum respect he deserves. For all the political storm Yogi’s actions might have generated, the masses are solidly behind him.
Uttar Pradesh knows that if there is one man who can walk the talk, be it on Ayodhya or Women’s safety, or communal peace, it is Yogi Adityanath. For now, the rejuvenation of Ayodhya has begun. No longer shall Ayodhya be just another crowded, dirty town in Uttar Pradesh. Yogi Adityanath’s government has plans to restore it to its much deserved glory. Sooner, rather than later, one hopes, we will see a grand and magnificent Ram temple at Ayodhya.