- Ponmala
In the Lord’s Prayer there is this sentence, which stands out from the rest: “Lead us not into temptations.” It highlights the human tendency to give into temptations. And it also conveys the message that it would be prudent to stay away from such situations as far as possible. The prayer seeks God’s help to eschew tempting situations that are beyond our calibre. The passage also advises us not to put people in situations that offer irresistible temptations. It would be foolhardy to expect of each and every person to have the moral conviction or the fear of God needed to resist every sort of temptation. The ubiquitous presence of CCTV cameras is a testimony to that.
Unfortunately, the temptation to steal was too strong for some of those who counted the cash and handled the offerings in Ayodhya’s Ram Temple for even CCTV cameras to prevent. What happened in the temple was, to borrow the words of late Dr Manmohan Sing, ‘organised loot’. The trustees of Shri Rama Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, formed and run directly under Prime Minister Modi, were apparently expected to be as righteous as the Righteous Shri Rama. But it has now become evident that they were neither righteous nor fearful of Lord Rama.
The Teerth Kshetra was formed to construct the Ram Temple and run it. The head of the trust, Sampath Rai, and the trustees and special invitees who assisted him belong to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), an arm of the RSS. It is relevant to note here that Savarkar, the ideologue whom the RSS considers its main inspiration, was an atheist. He conceived and propagated Hindutva, to which the RSS is totally wedded. For Hindutva, Hinduism is not a religion; it is a way of life, a culture. The Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld this stand of Savarkar, and therefore of the RSS. It therefore follows that the ‘RSS family’, known as the Sang Parivar, to which the VHP belongs, does not believe in the divinity of Ram.
We now have a scenario where ordinary Hindus worship Lord Ram as God and the Sang Parivar exploits their devotion to Lord Ram to achieve their goal of transforming democratic India to a fascist Hindu Rashtra and to further their own personal interests. Nothing can be a more fertile soil for corruption than that. It would not be the case if Hindutva promoted a culture of righteousness and honesty. But we are witnessing just the opposite happening. The ancient temple of Bhadrinath is also embroiled in an embezzlement scam. The BJP got swept to power on the tidal wave of the India against Corruption movement led by the renowned Gandhian Anna Hazare. But the BJP has become a byword for corruption under Modi. Furthermore, they have upgraded Hindutva into a ‘washing machine’ that sucks up corrupt political heavyweights and brings them out as immaculate icons of the Hindu Rashtra.
No better proof for the efficient working of the ‘washing machine’ is needed than this observation made by Bombay High Court Justice Madhav Jamdar just days ago: “If you have FIRs, switch sides. There is a washing machine.” And yet, Modi continues to repeat ad nauseum: “Neither will I swindle, nor will I allow others to swindle.” Beating empty vessels is Modi’s favourite tactic. Didn’t he make the entire nation do it to chase away the Corona virus? If Modi, Amit Sha or the RSS has any concern about corruption corroding the nation, they would have used the services of Ajit Doval, the National Security Advisor, to control it. Ajit Doval has proved to be an extremely efficient hand at eliminating individuals living abroad whom the BJP views as the nation’s enemies. Aren’t also the Gujarati businessmen, who have escaped to foreign lands and are wallowing in the thousands of crores they have looted from the country, enemies of the nation? Why not ask Ajit Doval to eliminate them too?
When it comes to the Ram Temple, Modi is it’s all in all. As directed by the Supreme Court, he formed the Teerth Kshetra and oversees its functioning. He presided over the Breaking Ceremony, the Foundation Laying Ceremony and the Idol Consecration Ceremony of the Ram Temple. He thus proclaimed to all Hindus that he is the living embodiment of Lord Ram. He is also the Prime Minister of the country. And yet, he has not uttered a word about the temple donation scandal. He does not have to, because he has elevated himself to the status of a celestial being. And, of course, celestial beings only hear prayers and give blessings as answer. It is below their status – and ability – to open their mouth to say anything about anything. At least, that is true of Modi.
For all the bad things Modi’s detractors my say about him, he is a saint compared to the anti-corruption warrior Anna Hazare, who is oblivious to BJP indulging in rampant corruption, even after it has invaded prestigious temples. That Trojan Horse of the RSS is basking in the glory of Hindutva’s relentless onward march. Contrast him with Yogi Adityanath whom, despite being a genuine devotee of Lord Ram and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Modi excluded from all matters concerning the Ram Temple. He has now emerged from Modi’s shadow by constituting an SIT to investigate the Ram Temple theft. That is quite a victory for devotees of Ram over exploiters of Ram.
Let us overlook the dispiriting aspects of the despicable temple thefts and consider how they could be a blessing in disguise. They will channel all that money into the nation’s economic growth. If not, much of it will lie endlessly in the vaults of the temple unused, as is the case with the two-lakh-crores worth of wealth lying idle in the vaults of Thiruvanathapuram’s Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
