The recent statement by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat has shocked many who view the entire temple reclamation movement, as not merely an issue of encroachment of temples but a subjugation of their faith.
For those unversed, on Thursday, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat attended an event named ‘India- The Vishwaguru’ in Pune, and delivered a lecture there. Now, in a surprising turn of events, he raised questions on people raking the issues of Mandir Masjid, which has been widely seen as an opposition to the entire temple reclamation movement.
Addressing in Marathi, Mohan Bhagwat said, “After the construction of Ram Mandir, some people think they can become leaders of Hindus by raking up similar issues in new places. This is not acceptable.”
It is an undeniable fact that the temple reclamation has been a genuine aspiration of the Hindu community especially after 75 years of suffering a bruised and battered trifurcation of their motherland to fulfil the ill-wishes of Muslim populace. As far as so-called secular Muslims who voted for the creation of Pakistan but remained in India, its vast section still takes pride in Islamic Iconoclasm of destroying Hindu mandirs. And despite repeated peace proposals from certain quarters of the Hindu community to honour their faith, at the altar of socio-political expediency, the Muslim community, represented by the vocal Mullah element still doesn’t want to concede even on selected few Hindu sites which are of prime spiritual and religious significance for the majority community, including those sites that are as sacrosanct as Kashi and Mathura.
In good faith, there can be a negotiated settlement but not a meek surrender – surrender of Hindus’ right to profess their religion, to fight legal battles for the revered religious places. Had it been the case that Hindus leave their destroyed temples at bay, can those swearing by Ganga-Jamuni-tehzeeb ensure that there will be no communal riots, there will be no attacks on Hindu religious processions, stone pelting, cessation of bloodthirsty slogans like Sar Tan Se Juda, vandalisation, attacks on Hindu temples. If not, then why would the Hindus shoulder the responsibility of secularism and appeasing a side which can’t be appeased without abject surrender to their faith and let Hindu temples remain dilapidated, dishonoured.
Meanwhile, the remarks of the RSS Chief, even though politically correct, have a negative impact as far as the Hindu legal battle is concerned about the Sambhal temple site.
When in Independent India, Hindus are becoming politically second class citizens, it is unjustified to expect them to bow down for political correctness, appeasing other sides which at once went to the extreme of trifurcating the country. They can’t any longer solely shoulder the responsibility of secularism, especially at its own peril.
Significantly, secularism can only thrive in a country when two communities are given equal consideration and the majority community is at least treated at par with the minority community.
The RSS has the option to decide on its role vis-a-vis reclaimed temples.
It is an undeniable fact that reclaiming the destroyed Hindu temples is a genuine aspiration of the Hindu community. The temple discoveries in Sambhal is a glaring victory of Satya, Dharm and a validation of Hindu’s aspirations to reclaim buried Hindu religious sites.
When the glare of Hindu renaissance, reclaimed temples is for all to see, it is too much to ask from the Hindu community to refrain from exercising their Constitutional right and Dharmic duty. It is not hatred towards the other side rather a fight for truth against Injustice.
