As Ayodhya breaks ground today, the decades-long debate over masjid and mandir at the site came to an end, however a new debate augmented over Prime Minister Modi's presence at the bhoomi pujan. Attacked by liberals and pseudo seculars, prime minister's move is wrongly claimed to be violating his constitutional duty to uphold secularism by participating in such an event.

Left-wing extremism

Among those opposing Modi's presence are leaders from left-wing parties like the Congress who have themselves participated with the PM and the president at Dussehra for Ravan Dahan every year. These leaders have also hosted parties for iftar and marked celebrations for bhudh purnima and Mahavir Jayanti. Thus, needless to say our country celebrates all religions, not negate them.

What opposition leaders choose to forget is the fact that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi also participated in the centenary celebrations of the Islamic seminary Darul-uloom-Deoband in 1966. Their hypocrisy is thus highlighted when they oppose only the majoritarian religion so as to create a vote bank out of the minorities.

These parties have for long cited with the nehruvian idea of India and thus far from treating all religions equally Hindu personal laws were codified while the personal laws of minorities were left untouched.

pride for the whole nation

Bhagwan Ram is a prominent figure not to just Hindus but also to the adherents of other dharmic traditions like Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, mystics like Kabir and poet philosophers like Iqbal, thus being a crucial part of Indian heritage.

Restoring the temple once destroyed by foreign invaders is not just adding one more temple in India, but mending it’s past and thus the whole nation must take pride in it and not just Hindus. Needless to say, the event is not a political one unless the opposition makes it.

 “A secular State is not a Godless State. Any state that seeks to outlaw God will very soon come to an end.” – KM Munshi.