New Delhi, Nov 10 If anything has to go by prophecy and the prediction coming true - even if partly - former VHP stalwart Ashok Singhal should get the prize - obviously posthumously.
Singhal of course enjoyed good rapport with Narendra Modi and after the new mascot of the Hindutva forces was sworn in as the Prime Minister in May 2014 - the illustrious Singhal had said in laudatory tone: "Eight hundred years after power (in Delhi) went away from Prithviraj Chauhan, it did not come back into the hands of a proud Hindu. It has happened now after 800 years".
In July 2013, he had said by 2020, India will be a 'Hindu nation'. Of course - the claim is a bit of exaggeration.
But in socio-political realm, two major Hindutva targets have been achieved --- the abrogation of the Article 370 and a Ram Temple at Ayodhya. Perhaps even six months back, not many Indians thought these would come true. Now, coming to the 'third mission' - the Uniform Civil Code --- a former BJP president and incumbent Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has already ruffled many a feather.
"Aa gaya samay (Time has come)," Rajnath certainly hinted about party's determination when he told reporters on Saturday in reply to a question about the Uniform Civil Code.
Late Singhal was a known protege of the then RSS chief Bala Saheb Deoras and first stole limelight in 1984-85 when as the working president he had organised a "Dharam Sansad".
A much 'ambitious' mission was announced stating that the 16th century Babri Masjid ought to be replaced by a temple dedicated to Ram Lalla, where Maryada Purushottam was born.
Soon came in the Ram Janki Rath Yatra in 1985, also a brainchild of Singhal.
Late Singhal's one line question actually put the 'assertive Hindu' mission on track and the famous query was - "After giving away Pakistan in the name of Islam, why Hindus cannot build a Ram Mandir where Lord Ram was born".
Years later, when he breathed his last in 2015, many of his admirers said that generations after the times of Hindutva icons like Sri Aurobindo or Veer Savarkar, it was Singhal who could indoctrinate in Hindu minds that patriotism could be a 'national religion'.
Mr Modi pushed it further when after the mayhem in Gujarat in 2002 he had said, "There is nothing to feel ashamed about Hindutva".
With Singhal around, a large section of Hindus saw when it came to politics of alleged minority appeasement by the Congress and the 'secular socialists and Leftists', there is a good reason to retaliate and to be assertive.
This was Singhal and power politics and its influence on the Hindutva movement.
Dr Subramanian Swamy, prominent BJP leader, now has his own reason to demand Bharat Ratna for Late Singhal.
"At this hour of victory let us remember Shri Ashok Singhal. Namo Govt must immediately announce Bharat Ratna for him," he tweeted.
Among other facets of Singhal's personality, reference ought to be made to the inherent difference he had with the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-L K Advani duo --- supposed to be two Hindutva protagonists who often tried to chose the middle path.
BJP watchers know, Late Singhal was particularly unhappy with 'hardliner' Advani who after coming to power in 1999 and in the run up to the 2004 parliamentary polls tried to portray himself as a 'moderate' and at times even distanced himself from the 'Hindutva forces'.
In fact in 2000, Advani was forced to make a statement to the media that BJP's link with RSS was like its umbilical cord.
Singhal of course enjoyed good rapport with Narendra Modi and after the new mascot of the Hindutva forces was sworn in as the Prime Minister in May 2014 - the illustrious Singhal had said in laudatory tone: "Eight hundred years after power (in Delhi) went away from Prithviraj Chauhan, it did not come back into the hands of a proud Hindu. It has happened now after 800 years".
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