The case of alleged theft of money from Ram temple in Ayodhya is unprecedented. This has shocked even the workers and supporters of BJP and RSS. This is not a case of theft of a temple offering in the usual sense. Incidents of theft at places of worship have been common and people often tolerate them. But Ram temple is different. The amount of offerings here was huge. There must be millions of people like that farmer living near Delhi, who said in a sad tone that – when I went for darshan immediately after the opening of the temple, I had offered my gold bangle, which was worth at least Rs 2.5 lakh at that time. There was a feeling behind that offering. This feeling of loss is not limited to just being cheated of money. It is even more disturbing when it is seen as a betrayal of faith. And this feeling deepens further when the offering is made in the name of Lord Ram, for whom millions of people in large parts of India have immense faith. We cannot forget what kind of emotions the idea of building a Ram temple had aroused across North and West India in 1990 when Lal Krishna Advani started his famous Rath Yatra from Somnath to Delhi and was arrested in Bihar. Many people from Sangh and BJP had called it the beginning of spiritual renaissance in the country. For millions of Hindus, the construction of the Ram temple was the culmination of ‘500 years of struggle’ to reaffirm their identity. In such a situation, when it is revealed that there was a conflict between notes and votes behind it, such painful feelings of disillusionment can be reduced in life. Some Sangh officials have even (in private discussion) described this matter as the biggest incident that has come to light since the establishment of Bharatiya Jan Sangh in 1951. Whether you agree with the ideology of the Sangh or not, it has gained respect from many sections of the society due to the work done by its volunteers during drought, flood, tsunami or any national disaster. A pathologist from a village in Jaipur – who is a supporter of the Sangh and the BJP – told me that ‘BJP is a political organisation, so such incidents are understandable to some extent there, but in the Sangh…!’ Having said this, he left his sentence incomplete, but his discomfort and disappointment were evident. The fact that most of the members of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which was at the center of the controversy, were either preachers of the Sangh or were associated with it, naturally increases the uneasiness of this organization. Such a revelation has also not been favorable for the Sangh at a time when it is celebrating 100 years of its existence and has set its goal as ‘building a new man’. In recent months, the leadership of the Sangh was also trying to reach out to those social sections with which it had not previously had contact. In such a situation, it is not surprising that in view of the public anger, the Sangh and the BJP are now in a state of damage control. After initial hesitation, the Sangh leadership has expressed its opposition to this incident. Expressing concern over the alleged misuse of funds, RSS chief Dattatreya Hosabale has condemned the incident and demanded strict action against those found guilty. The recent meeting of the Trust also decided to put in place necessary procedures to ensure accountability, including the appointment of a professional CEO. In the meeting of the trust, the resignations of its general secretary Champat Rai, who is a Sangh pracharak and has been associated with VHP for years, trustee Anil Mishra and invitee member Gopal Rao were accepted. These resignations were taken after the interim report of the SIT formed to investigate the case and the arrest of eight people, including Champat Rai’s former driver. However, surprisingly Champat Rai’s name is not there in the interim report of the SIT. Champat has said that he will present his side only after the final report comes. It is clear that this entire incident has dealt a blow to the image of the Sangh. He fears that this may also create a feeling of disillusionment towards the ‘Hindutva project’. It cannot be assumed that voters dissatisfied with the Ayodhya issue will automatically turn to the opposition parties, even though Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has not wasted any time in attacking the BJP. But since Ayodhya has never been an opposition issue, many BJP supporters may also decide to sit at home at the time of elections. But the opposition will also benefit from this. Can this matter change the political discourse in UP and also at the national level? Till now the opposition has not been able to understand how to counter the BJP’s narrative of Hindu nationalism built around the Ram Temple. Ram Mandir became the ambitious project of BJP, which brought it to power. The resulting Hindu consolidation has helped the party expand across large parts of India. The Sangh and the BJP have been presenting it as a ‘thousand-year civilizational project’. Now a lot will depend on what decision Yogi Adityanath takes now. Although technically he is not associated with the management of the trust, he still heads the BJP government in UP. Yogi may be among the party’s frontline leaders if elected chief minister for the third consecutive term, but his claim may be weakened if the BJP loses in UP or returns to power with only a marginal lead. Although many people in the Sangh are in his favor and his influence is not limited to UP only. This is considered a betrayal of people’s trust. The feeling of loss is not limited to money being defrauded. It is even more disturbing when it is seen as a betrayal of faith. And this feeling deepens further when the offering is made in the name of Ram, for whom people have immense faith. (These are the author’s own views.)
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Neerja Chaudhary’s column: Will ‘theft’ in the temple change the equations?
