Even post-2019 SC judgement and post-Mandir consecration.... Bharat should be aware of 'intellectuals' who could still want pro-Babri group to win

(** Be it as it may if Mr Modi comes to power for the third straight term Kanha should get his house in place and Shiva's abode in Kashi be restored. 

These should be two immediate tasks that Mr. Modi should include in the BJP's manifesto for the 2024 general elections if he wishes for the landslide victory for BJP) 

- Kirti Patil --

His views in substantial length is carried at the end of the blog) 

ZZZZZZ

 One article has come from Germany. Of course the author is an Indian, - Subrata Mitra. And the media outlet - probably one can guess easily -- 'Indian Express'. These are Sickular institutions and they will continue to remain for considerable time period.
Mr Mitra is en emeritus professor of Political Science at Germany's Heidelberg University. 

I am taking liberty to refer to his article as the first case to build my piece on Jan 26th, 2024 because Sir Mitra has penned Foreword to my book 'Godhra - Journey of a Prime Minister' (2018) publication. 

In his Foreword for my book, Mitra wrote:

“The more the ‘secularists’ of India and their foreign backers hit out at Modi as a tainted leader, the more Modi fell back on his identification with the people of Gujarat and his showcasing of Gujarat’s development as the raison d’e^tre of his leadership....

“The impressive victory of the BJP under Narendra Modi raises a fundamental question about governance, leadership and the imperative of development and the making of popular will". 

It goes without stating that I will always cherich his Foreword and remain ever grateful for the same. But the article penned by him for Jan 26 (2024) 'Indian Express' edit page is interesting and also thought provoking in more ways than one.  

The article's sub-headline runs - "Ram temple and Republic Day commemorations show that past and present jostle for space at state's high table". In his write up Prof Mitra raises a question -- many 'sickularists' in India including political detractors of Narendra Modi would like to give it a further push.

Mitra asks: "How legitimate can the modern state anchored in a traditional society as diverse as India be, when a temple though built with private funds, has the Prime Minister serving as its 'mukkhya yajman' and (chief stakeholder for the puja) and performing the pran-pratishtha ceremony?"

Many such questions will be asked -- at times guided by the thought process of ivory tower expertise and at times the motives of political considerations. I am not attributing any one of these prognosis for Mitra's articulation. 

Rather the basic reason of my decision to refer to his article is plain admiration because he has done the analysis in quite a simpler language for an essay.  

Now my arguments on the pro-Babri intellectuals and I am not putting Mitra in that categorisation as well. 

On the eve of judgement of the Supreme Court in 2019, 'pro-right wing historian' Meenakshi Jain had said:

"Now, as things stand today the Left historians are hoping that the Supreme Court will overturn the verdict of the Allahabad High Court and rule in favour of the Masjid"

"..none of these people had any expertise but they were just motivated by their bias that they have to make statements (including before the court during trial in 1990s and so on) against the temple and they went to any extent to ridicule the whole movement just because they wanted the pro-Babri group to win". 

In circa 2024, we know a magnificent temple has already come up and not only the judges of the highest court of the land delivered the verdict in favour of Hindus and Ram Lalla; we also are aware that a strong Ram-leher is blowing across north India braving the biting wintry winds. 

According to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, "Hindu Rashtra is coming...". And Prime Minister Modi himself has put the country on a road map of 'Dev se Deh and Ram se Rashtra'. My firm argument during last fortnight is that the Temple's implications will be far beyond electoral gains the BJP is set to draw and the Opposition may will have to accept in the ultimate analysis. 

Here again Meenakshi Jain's words would make sense.  Meenakshi Jain's books do tackle the toughest academic questions through clear facts. Let me campaign here for her books - almost milestones ---

'Rama and Ayodhya', 'The Battle for Rama: Case of the Temple at Ayodhya', 

'Flight of Deities and Rebirth of Temples: Episodes from Indian History' and many more.  

I am also tempted to refer to some of her interactions with media and in academic seminars etc. At one instance, she quoted a Left-historian Suraj Bhan and said, --

"You know he says...I am an MA in Sanskrit language, (but) I cannot speak Sanskrit since I have not used it for quite sometime. I (also) face difficulty in reading it and also following it. I can only remember that ancient India and early medieval India were not in my course of study". 

Ting tong... is not it  ?

Let us come back to Mr Subrata Mitra's  article, he also writes:

"The Supreme Court of India like its equivalents, Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz - in Germany and the Conseil constitutionnel in France - has become both the creator of this sacred space. blending the old and the new and generating the vital pivot of Indian politics, and its defender. 

One can be cautiously optimistic that emergent India is on its way to redeeming the pledge of 'purna (complete) Swaraj, made on Jan 26, 1930". 

Well, there is no typo here. Jan 26, 1930 is also historical. 

The Purna Swaraj resolution—proclaimed on January 26, 1930, later to be celebrated as independent India’s Republic Day—called for “complete freedom from the British”. However, Jawaharlal Nehru interpreted or 'mis....' and said, India will remain within the British Commonwealth.

Was it also a case of surrender or just a practical concession or a bigger blunder the nation has not debated ever ???

ends 

  

(Pls do read Kirti Patil's comments .... These may serve as refresher for many) 

       (As an exception Kirti's snap is posted here. He is also in my shoes or vice versa.... A 'good dad' is known 'best' by their daughter's Parichay...virtues. Garv se kaho, Raj karegi Beti Hamari !!)