As India came to a standstill on January 22 and millions found a common thread that united them in the wake of a prolonged struggle to reclaim what they assert as the civilizational aspirations of a country whose soul had long been suppressed, there emerged some fault lines that those in power today must take note of to ensure that the faith, devotion and beliefs of India's majority of Hindus is neither taken advantage of nor exploited.
At the same time, it is crucial to realize before respecting the diversity of the Indian republic, in terms extending far beyond the religious grip and encompassing the geographies and cultures of this ancient land.
Political pundits are fooling themselves when they shower blind praises on the well-orchestrated outreach to the Hindu community, arguably the flag bearers of the world's largest continuous civilization, by the ruling Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The staunch supporters of Prime Minister Modi, his party and its ideological parent, have the exhausting task at hand to prevent the corrosion of their minds and that of the younger generation into surrendering their democratic rights and religious beliefs at the feet of the Prime Minister's ever-soaring political ambitions.
But I may be getting ahead of myself.
As the leader of the republic, Prime Minister Modi led the nation on what the majority community held as an auspicious occasion. But his extravagant and hyperbolic television appearances in the run up to it were purely aimed at enticing voters as he prepares to contest for the top-post once again against the backdrop of massive unemployment, inflation and a perplexing foreign policy that has made India vulnerable to Chinese aggression at multiple points.
For Prime Minister Modi to use the faith and devotion of so many, this writer included, to suit his political motives and casting it as a grand celebration was repugnant. That he overlooked what the Constitution of India entails made it more so. For many, particularly those who have contributed to the cause of the grand temple, the PM's outreach served to thaw their pain of centuries that has been passed through generations but yet in the initial euphoria, they have seemingly lost the capacity to look at or ponder upon the possible alternatives.
PM Modi commanded all the limelight while the day should have been left to priests, godmen, seers and devotees. As the leader of the republic, he could have made a strong statement of solidarity with the cause of Hindus and the civilizational roots of India, with his official presence as the Prime Minister. But his political ambitions got the better of him and he made a larger-than-life appearance that was solely aimed at nullifying his political opponents while his conduct displayed utter disregard for the very values that the lord whose praises he sang stood for.
Hinduism is not about only one God, India is not about only one religion. The temple belongs to the priests, the parliament is where the Prime Minister should show his commitment to the cause of India and Indians. His government has suspended members arbitrarily, bulldozed bills and made a mockery of Indian democracy. When the Prime Minister can be so expressive on the grand temple, what prevents him from speaking about those in need or taking up their cause. The ongoing ethnic clashes in the northeastern state of Manipur is a case in point.
It does not augur well for the Prime Minister of India or members of his party to prevent others from entering temples, or deciding at what time they should. That his prime-opponent Rahul Gandhi was halted and prevented in Assam from making a visit to a temple shows the PM's lust to grab eyeballs by muting his opponents. In doing so, he disregarded the freedom of temples and crushed them directly under his toes, disregarded the Indian Constitution, and furthermore made an attempt to obliterate the contributions of the family of his prime opponent to the cause of the grand temple.
Hinduism remains at the heart of India. It is the source of our civilizational history. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not. He is temporary, the leader of our republic for now. But he should understand that the country needs to move forward with a progressive agenda and not get drowned in his lust to retain power. The Grand Temple is surely a historic moment delivered under his tenure but there were far better ways of going about it than what transpired over the past few days in India.
If anything, it has only reduced Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the lowest point from which he will be contesting the forthcoming General Elections in India as his hypocrisy emboldens the unity of his political opponents. He was stronger in 2014, even more so in 2019. This time, his prospects do not appear very well on the ground. It will be interesting to watch the curbs he subjects the citizens of India to and the way he muzzles the press and rides over the rights of his political rivals in the forthcoming days as his biggest masterstroke has had a limited response in most parts of the country.
That is apart from the echo-chamber of India's subservient media, of course.
(Saket Suman is the author of The Psychology of a Patriot. Views expressed are strictly personal)
