Nowadays, few disgruntled and uniformed BJP supporters and as well as anti-Hindu opposition parties ask: ‘What has the BJP government done for the Hindus?’ This article is dedicated to addressing this question.
With the advent of PM Modi to power in 2014, Hindus who felt oppressed, subjugated and made to feel inferior for a thousand years, got a new bright ray of hope and loaded the man with expectations. In the short tenure of 4.5 years, NDA government led by PM Modi has done its utmost to reciprocate the extensive support it has received from the Hindu community. It put an end to several policies started by the previous regime that were deemed unfair by a large number of Hindu populace. The Modi government has taken into account the grievances of the Hindu community and has acted accordingly. What Modi government has given to Hindus, the Congress failed to give in their 60 years of rule. Let us take a look at some important steps initiated by Modi government for the cause of Hindu religion.
Cultural Preservation and Promotion
- Artifacts/idols stolen from India were returned by the USA. These include a priceless bronze idol of Lord Ganesha (estimated to be 1,000-years-old), a statue from the Chola period and a Mauryan dynasty statue.
- PM Modi as a gift to world leaders gave copies of the Bhagavad Gita to former US President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping and to Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, Japanese Emperor Akihito. He took a dig at seculars back in the country saying, “I carried a Gita as a gift to the world leaders. I do not know what will happen in India after this. There may be a TV debate on this. Our secular friends will create ‘toofan'(storm) that what does Modi think of himself? He has taken a Gita with him that means he has made this communal.”
While gifting the scripture to Emperor of Japan, he was quoted glorifying the book as, “Because I don’t think that I have anything more to give and the world also does not have anything more to get than this.”
- Restoring old name of cities of India to regain the lost glory of Hindu ethos – Allahabad was renamed as Prayagraj, Faizabad as Ayodhya and Mughal Sarai rechristened as Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Nagar.
- The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his UN address suggested the date of 21 June be celebrated as International Day of Yoga, as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and shares special significance in many parts of the world. As the practice it basically promotes breathing exercises for a healthy way of life, the entire world welcomed the step. International Yoga Day projects Hindu culture on an International Level, improving India’s soft power quotient.
- International guests were taken to temples instead of Taj Mahal. PM Modi took South Korean President to Swaminarayan temple, Australian PM at Akshardham temple, Canadian PM at Akshardham temple, performed Ganga Aarti with the Japanese PM at Varanasi.
- Queen of South Korea visited India for Sita festival.
- Sale of cattle for slaughter banned at animal markets across the country.
- TEMPLE IN ABU DHABI: Narendra Modi’s biggest achievement to promote Hinduism is getting land for building the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. He thanked the UAE government in his tweet: “I am very thankful to the UAE Govt for their decision to allot land in order to build a Temple in Abu Dhabi. This is a great step.”
- Warned Communist government of Kerala over treatment against Bhagwan Ayyappa devotees on Sabarimala Temple verdict.
- Plan to construct a 221-meter tall statue of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.
- Renaming of erstwhile ‘Mughalsarai’ station to Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya Junction, in honor of the great Hindu ideologue and propounder of Antyoday.
- Varanasi and it’s ghats getting unprecedented attention. PM Modi has transformed his constituency as well as the holy city for Hindus- Varanasi- in just 4.5 years.
- Ordinance approved for making triple talaq a punishable offence, a move that upholds civil rights and signifies equality of religions
- SANSKRIT: Unlike the ministers who had been pleasing the audience with lust knitted Urdu shayaris, Modi took the world stage (United Nations) and Indian Parliament to glorify Sanskrit, world’s oldest language revered as Devbhasha in Sanatan Dharma. Modi proudly recited Sanskrit shlokas and Subhashit verses that speak about the betterment of entire humanity.
- Grand scale Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya.
- Conducted Ayodhya Arts festival. The theme of the festival was Bhagwan Ram and his Life. Over two hundred artists who painted hundreds of walls across the city.
- Getting an Indian passport has gotten easier for Sadhu/Sanyasi/Gurus.
- Decided that any project damaging Ram Setu won’t be approved.
- Decided to construct the statue of popular Hindu ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj off the Mumbai coast.
- Busted the canard of Hindu terror.
- The NCERT made a lot of changes in the textbooks. In the revised edition many unsung heroes found their right places which have been deliberately expunged from the textbooks by the Congress and the Left-liberal parties. Many celebrated icons like Peshwa and Maratha General Bajirao Ballal, Jat King Surajmal, Rajput ruler Maharana Pratap and the Great Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji, freedom fighters Lala Lajpat Rai and Vallabhbhai Patel, and spiritual leaders Sri Aurobindo and Swami Vivekananda are now included .
- Granted citizenship to many Pakistan Hindu and Sikh refugees.
- Launched efforts to trace the lost river, Saraswati.
Social and Economic Upliftment
- GST Tax exempted on rakhi and idols of deities (just before the festival of Raksha Bandhan and Ganesh Chaturthi)
- Closure of illegal slaughter houses and ban on cow smuggling in Uttar Pradesh, protecting the livelihood of lakhs of Hindus in the state that are engaged in animal husbandry.
- Withdrawal of subsidy for Haj pilgrims, equating Hindus and Muslims by not indulging in minority appeasement and politics.
- Cancellation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licences of about 20,000 NGOs, as many of these NGOs, received huge funds from foreign countries for conversion of Hindus of lower-economic status.
- Aggressively supporting the implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in West Bengal and Assam to identify and deport illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in the state.
Service to Devotees
- Opening of Nathu La in Tibet as the 2nd route for Indian pilgrims undertaking the arduous Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra. This decision was taken by China during an official visit of PM Modi to China in 2015.
- Special trains for Kumbh Mela, for which Hindu devotees flock from different parts of the country. Also, ‘mela surcharge’ removed for pilgrims.
- Special trains for pilgrims visiting Vaishno Devi shrine during Navratras like the Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Special train.
- Launch of a special tourist train called ‘Shri Ramayana Express’, which will cover 4 important destinations associated with the life of Lord Ram in a 16-days tour package spread over India and Sri Lanka.
- Work in full swing to complete All-weather Char Dham road which aims to connect the holy shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. Furthermore, Railways started final survey for 11 Chardham rail connectivity project in May 2017.
- Showing urgency & focused effort to accomplish the promise of cleaning up the Ganga river, which is undoubtedly the most sacred river for Hindus.
- Approval of Swadesh Darshan Scheme, wherein infrastructure will be built around places of tourist interest under the umbrella of 15 themes such as Buddhist Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Ramayana Circuit and Heritage Circuit, etc.
- Direct bus service started between Janakpur in Nepal, the birthplace of Sita, and Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Ram.