Faith on his sleeve

Modi is known to have prostrated at only two placesParliament and the Ram Mandir. In politics, he has sought to combine them

- PRATUL SHARMA

The black stone idol of five-year-old Ram, with its benign smile and innocence, has given millions of Hindus an enduring image of their beloved god. The consecration of the idol at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22 was a defining moment in the history of India.

The political leadership under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has combined the spiritual with the temporal, and Ram’s vision with the nation’s future. Held in the presence of invited elite as well as Hindu saints and temple construction workers, the consecration of the idol was seen as a celebration of India’s religious and cultural identity, with Modi saying that Ram’s homecoming was a break from 1,000 years of slavery, a reference to Mughal and British rule.

With helicopters showering petals on the audience, the scene was similar to Republic Day parades where the country’s military might is displayed along with symbols of its economic and social prowess.

While the prime minister focused on Ayodhya, BJP ministers and senior leaders fanned across the country to participate in events that presented the consecration as a national festival. If Jawaharlal Nehru’s ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech on the eve of India’s independence gave vision to a fledgling nation, Modi’s Ram Mandir address offered a different vision. “This temple is not just a mere shrine; it is the manifestation of Bharat’s vision, philosophy and insight,” he said. “It is a temple of national consciousness in the form of Lord Ram. Ram is the faith of Bharat; Ram is the foundation of Bharat. Ram is the thought of Bharat; Ram is the constitution of Bharat. Ram is the consciousness of Bharat.”