RAM LALLA (BALAK RAM) VIRAJMAN – Prime Minister Modi, as the
Yajmaan of the religious rite of the consecration and installation of the now famed 51 inches tall blackstone murti (idol) of the infant Ram (by the Karnataka native Arun Yogiraj), declared that with this the creation of Ramrajya
– Samarth, Saksham, Bhavya, Divya Bharat is begun! Dev se Desh Ram se
Rashtra; Ram koivivad nahin, samaadhan hai (Ram is not a problem,
but a solution); May that be true for all Bhartiya.
January 22, 2024. The mercury indicated it was the coldest day of the region in the past one month with it dipping to 5 degree. However, the sun showed favour on the great celebration of the Sooryavanshi – it shone today after many days of hiding. Sitapur is just about 200 kms
from the cynosure of the country today – Ayodhya. (Ayodhya, to Shri Mohan Bhagwat is a + yodhya, where there is no war! He appeals for that! A detente or entente? Almost sounds to my ears like Jerusalem - the city of salem - peace, but is always the centre of conflicts. Hope it is not so with Ayodhya). After almost two weeks (perhaps, more specifically 9 days) of bhajan and jaagran all around, the morning was rather quiet. We took a ride to see the effects of pratishthan on people. As we reached the town area, just about 3 kilometers away, the main street (Mahatma Gandhi Road) was seen with bhagwa (saffron) flags with the picture of Ram Lalla depicted on them on every light post which are there on the median. Two flags crossed. The posts are illuminated with tricolour lights.
Many buildings bore the bhagwa flags, and some of the
3 wheelers and motorbikes also carried small flags. While the more established
firms appeared closed, generally the market was open – business as usual, but
every corner having a booth or platform from where devotional songs and bhajans
highlighting the benevolence and virtues of Ram ji were played. There were
several stations where prasaad was being distributed – tea and biscuits,
sweets in some places. I joined a group and had their chaay, and in
turn, tried to gather the littering of the tea cups all around.
A street and surrounding are in front of the UP Roadways
station was found cleaned, and 10 to 12 ft tall Tabebuia Rosea (Pink Poui)
plants, about 100 in number were being planted. I wondered why they chose Tabebuia,
when diverse and attractive Indian species
could have been introduced. When the
nation is celebrating its sabhyata through Ram, some thought on this
aspect would have made is much more beneficial to the town. Hope the trees will grow and bear bright pink
flowers making people ‘happy’ (ramyante).
A small procession passed by on one side of the median – senior
and young men and women, and children were merrily singing along with the
bhajan being played and stepping to the tune.
It is a festival mood – but no frenzy.
Since last night internet appears totally lost or available
only at infrequent intervals. I suspected if it were a security precaution – though didn’t fully understand the logic. But
later, realised that it was a problem with the wiring.
The speeches by the RSS Sarsanchalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat and the
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi stressed matters to be avoided – ahankar (pride)
and to be cultivated hosh (reason), vinay (humility), karuna (compassion);
but also a queer mix of religion and politics, likely to be the new meaning of
Indian secularism.
I recalled the lessons of Christian history when Constantine made Christianity the religion of his empire and a unifying force, and felt an Indian modern-day parallell is being drawn. It transformed Christianity from the spritual movement it was meant to be to the institutionalised religion and a major centre of religio-political power, with all its trappings. While Shri Modi indeed rightly stressed that Ram is not to be a fire (aag), but energy (oorja), the new trend India would take on appears to be this new version of Raam rajya – would it really take the BJP slogan sabke saath, sabka vikaas, sabka vishwas? If that is indeed meant and beyond the triumphalism and grandiosity, if the party truly adheres to the principles by taking along the minorities, India (Bharat) would emerge definitely as a glorious (bhasur) Bharat!
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