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Round the World
Religious Tourism: BIG BOOST AFTER AYODHYA, By Dhurjati Mukherjee, 31 January 2024 |
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Open Forum
New Delhi, 31 January 2024
Religious Tourism
BIG BOOST AFTER AYODHYA
By Dhurjati Mukherjee
Religious
tourism, which has always attracted both domestic and foreign tourists, is
expected to get a big boost in the coming years. There are expectations that
this will attract more and more tourists. Spiritual tourism has evolved as a
concept and is significantly contributing to the overall revival of India’s
tourism industry. With the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, demand
trends indicate increased interest for the destination from customers across
segments with an uptick of 150 per cent.
According
to the research wing of State Bank of India expects the total expenditure by
tourists, both domestic and foreign, in Uttar Pradesh may cross Rs 4 lakh crore
mark by the end of this year. SBI Ecowrap estimates that Yogi Adityanath
government earn an additional tax revenue of Rs 20,000-25,000 crore due to a
huge spurt in several tourists during fiscal year 2025.
Global
brokerage firm Jefferies has predicted in a report that the Ram temple could
lead to “unlocking of India’s tourism potential” by attracting over 50 million
tourists a year. It said the grand opening of the temple “is a big religious
event. It also comes with a large economic impact as India gets a new tourist
spot which could attract over 50 million tourists per year. A Rs 85,000-crore
makeover (new airport, revamped railway station, township, improved road
connectivity etc) will likely drive a multiplier effect with new hotels &
other economic activities. It can also set a template for infra driven growth
for tourism.”
The Modi
government has started improving infrastructure and most of the pilgrim centres
are now a better place compared to what they were a decade ago. Data
reveals that there has been a 97 per cent growth in searches for spiritual
destinations on the platform in the last two years, and the searches for
Ayodhya from India increased by more than 1,800 per cent since the inauguration
announcement, with the peak searches on December 30, which was when the Ayodhya
airport was inaugurated.
According to figures released by the Ministry of Tourism in March 2023, places
of religious tourism earned Rs 134,543 crore in 2022, up from Rs 65,070 crore
in 2021. It can thus be presumed that spiritual/ religious tourism is a
significant player in India’s travel recovery after the post pandemic years.
Way back
in 2015, the government launched the ‘Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual
Augmentation Drive’ (PRASAD) scheme of the tourism ministry and in 2016
focussed on developing pilgrimage sites across India for enriching the
religious tourism experience. It aimed to integrate pilgrimage destinations in
a planned and sustainable manner to provide a complete religious tourism
experience through better and easier transportation systems -- roadways,
railways and waterways.
Moreover,
the demand for visitors’ spiritual journeys is no longer restricted to
traditional pilgrimages but a combination of spiritual breaks with unique local
experiences and outdoor adventures like white-water rafting and night trekking
in Vaishno Devi, bungee jumping in Rishikesh, boating on the river Ganga, visiting
a heritage crafts village in Puri or learning a local art like Kalayaripayattu
in Kerala. According to SOTC, hotel occupancy in these destinations is almost
around 100 per cent on weekends and holy dates, while on average occupancy
levels stand at 60-80 per cent.
Coming
to Ayodhya, it has witnessed a surge in hotel construction and development.
Currently, the city has approximately 17 hotels with around 600 rooms. To meet
the anticipated increase in tourist arrivals, 73 new hotels are in the pipeline
with 40 of them already under construction, as per a report. Several renowned
hotel chains and hospitality companies, including IHCL (Indian Hotels Company
Limited), Marriott International, Wyndham, and OYO Rooms, are planning on
creating more hotels in Ayodhya. The hospitality projects are expected to add
significant room capacity to accommodate the growing number of tourists and
pilgrims that are expected to visit Ayodhya.
Phase I
of Ayodhya's the new airport is operational, becoming a milestone in
facilitating air travel to and from the city. This has been built at a cost of
approximately $175 million and has an annual handling capacity of 1
million passengers. Meanwhile, the town’s tourist footfall has already shot up
from nearly 3.5 lakh in 2019 to over 2 crore in both 2022 and 2023. Experts in
this sector feel that the Ayodhya-Varanasi-Prayagraj triangle could drive Uttar
Pradesh’ trillion-dollar economy dream. This could possibly surpass the
Delhi-Agra-Jaipur tourism circuit shortly.
In
popular tourist places such as Rishikesh, Varanasi, Ujjain and Vrindavan,
hostels are being set up to attract tourists along with improving
infrastructure. Recently the Jagannath Heritage Corridor was inaugurated by the
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Transformation of the iconic temple site
is intended to improve facilities for visitors and pilgrims. The revitalisation
of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor also led to a huge spurt in tourist growth.
It is
evident that even general tourism sites in many states are being given a
religious touch. Though this may be a good measure to attract more tourists,
specially in a deeply religious country like India, these centres need to have
other places of attraction such as museums, monuments, children’s parks etc.
The
pandemic has changed the perception of travellers and there has been a shift in
consumer behaviour. While spiritual tourism was once associated with the senior
citizen segment, over the past two years, there has been a significant uptick
in demand from multi-generational families, couples/honeymooners, groups of
friends and millennials as well. Reports coming in from Ayodhya indicate that
young people are visiting the temple in large numbers. Does it indicate that
Modi has instilled a religious fervour among the young generation?
An
important aspect that needs to be pointed out is that promotion of religious
tourism is necessary as it has a multiplier effect in creation of jobs and
overall development of the region. But religious tourism should not mean just
promoting the Hindu places of worship. The Muslim and Christian religious
places as also those of other communities like Sikhs and Jains should also be
developed through a judicious plan.
However,
tourism in India does need to catch up still. The contribution of this sector
to India’s GDP is just around 6.8 per cent and India is positioned below most
of the emerging and developed economies. The last Union budget of 2023 had
allocated ₹2400 crore to the tourism sector, but it cannot be denied that
requirements are much more. It is, however, encouraging to note that the
private sector has been coming in a big way to invest in this sector, specially
manifest in the investments at Ayodhya.
Ayodhya it
is said could even surpass the Vatican City and Mecca in terms of the number of
visiting devotees, if infrastructure and stay facilities are upped on the same
trajectory over the coming months. On the first day alone there were 5 lakh
visitors to the temple. The Tirupati Balaji in Andhra Pradesh attracts 2.5
crore devotees yearly, similar to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, and the Vatican gets
about 90 lakh visitors annually. The other top destinations are the Vaishno
Devi temple in Jammu & Kashmir which gets 80 lakh people yearly, whereas the
Taj Mahal attracts 70 lakh people. Indeed, development of tourism, both religious
or spiritual, would bring in valuable foreign exchange and lead to economic
development.---INFA
(Copyright, India News &
Feature Alliance)
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BJP Master Stroke: OPP NEEDS NEW LANGUAGE, By Poonam I Kaushish, 30 January 2024 |
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Political Diary
New Delhi, 30 January 2024
BJP MASTERSTROKE
OPP NEEDS NEW LANGUAGE
By Poonam I Kaushish
The caste genie unleashed by our polity nearly three
decades ago is back in the heart of political discourse as vote-banks on caste
lines are easier to build. Post Ram Lalla idol’s consecration and call for
expanding “our consciousness from Dev
to Desh…beginning of a new chakra,” Prime Minister Modi played
another masterstroke by awarding Bharat Ratna to Bihar’s socialist OBC (Backward
class) icon and messiah of social justice late former Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur.
From “Ram kaaj” to “garib kaaj”
the BJP blended its Hindutva agenda with the social justice plank and hopes to make a big dent in the non-dominant backward
castes votes, especially EBCs (Extremely Backward class) by honouring Thakur. Specially, in Bihar where it has been unsuccessful in wooing the
community to its side thanks to sway of entrenched backward satraps Nitish and Lalu
who owe their rise to adroit political and administrative measures aimed at
EBCs.
Besides, this would not only help BJP
to counter effects of Bihar’s recent caste survey, offset Congress’s repeated
demand for nationwide caste census but importantly counter the two Yadav
community stalwarts Bihar’s RJD Lalu & family and UP’s Samajwadi Akhilesh’s
OBC politics by showcasing the Party as its champion including EBC’s and MBC’s
(Most Backward Class) by making a direct appeal
to them. Especially the non-Yadav cluster of about 200 EBC’s such as nai to which Thakur belonged.
True, even prior to this, the Party
was reaching out to Dalits and OBC but currently it hopes to consolidate all
Hindu votes under the Hindu inclusivity umbrella.
As it stands, BJP has the highest support of OBCs which has
grown exponentially from 7% in 1971 to 22% in 2009 and doubled to 44% in 2019.
The NDA received 54% OBC support in 2019.
As
Modi hails from this community, the Party’s claim of higher representation to
OBCs in ticket allocations and at the Centre alongside formation of Justice Rohini OBC Commission to address
their issues through the Constitutional framework have helped it get OBC
support. There are 28 OBC
Ministers in the Union Cabinet, 80 MPs and several OBC Governors including
President Murmu who is tribal.
Alongside there is a buzz BJP’s
larger strategy is to either snatch JD(U)’s Nitish back into NDA fold as majority
of these castes are presently in JD(U) or break up the Party and alliance
whereby BJP becomes a viable option for them. It rubbishes Opposition gripes as
sour grapes as it is not the first time an award is being given for the ruling
Party to take credit.
BJP has also focussed
its efforts on non-dominant OBCs and MBC, which have been ignored by
Opposition. This strategy has helped it in 2019 general elections across all
socio-economic classes amongst OBCs, except middle class. Resulting in SP being
reduced from 35 MPs in 2004 to just 5 in 2019; RJD from 22 seats in 1999 and
2004 to zilch in 2019; RLD from 5 seats in 2009 to nil in 2019. Consequently,
out of every 100 BJP voters 49 belong to OBC community. A fact which bugs
INDIA.
A bolt out of the blue for
Opposition INDIA bloc, for Congress it is a double whammy. One, both Mamata’s TMC
in West Bengal and Kejriwal’s AAP in Punjab have decided to go it alone in
polls. Two, even though it tepidly welcomed the award, it dismissed it as “politics
of symbolism” and politically motivated with an eye on the upcoming elections.
“The country needs real justice and
caste census would be true tribute to Thakur,” said Rahul. While JD(U)’s Nitish
has rushed to lay claim over his legacy and
tried to take credit for Thakur’s tribute, RJD dubbed the decision as
driven by “BJP’s political compulsions and a gimmick’.”
Undeniably, the honour bestowed on
Thakur popularly known as Jannayak, who hails from EBC will impact the
political landscape as Parties are vying for OBC and EBC voters as they account
for 63% and 36% population in Bihar’s caste survey. Coupled with Ram temple,
tables have turned for INDIA bloc which has been sending out confusing signals
over the mandir. They will now have
to figure out a new language to respond to BJP’s direct appeal which Modi has taken
beyond the realm of religion to caste. It will need clarity on why it is keen
on displacing BJP.
Thakur belonging to a poor family left
an indelible mark on Bihar’s deprived section and is credited with not only the
rise of backward caste politics but was first to push for their empowerment.
Pioneer of the ‘Karpoori formula’, the two-time Chief Minister gave 26%
reservation to OBC’s and communities which eventually set the tone for 1990 Mandal
Commission recommendation and later caste census with its layered reservation
formula for EBC’s and MBC’s.
Known for his integrity, probity,
simple living he removed English as a compulsory subject as students from poor
families found it tough, introduced prohibition but with a soft touch.
Unfortunately he was pushed to the background by his disciples Lalu, Nitish and
late Ram Vilas Paswan whose RJD, JD(U), LJP emerged as influential political and electoral regional Parties.
At another level it is an example of
political hypocrisy in politics. Clearly,
in the Kafkaesque world where caste identity is sticky baggage, difficult to
dislodge in social settings and where caste vs
caste fight and decide one’s fate no Party wants to jeopardize its caste vote
banks. Wherein, the fight for getting the upper hand and votes has been reduced
to politics of optics and perception, underscoring present reality and exposes
the socio-political undercurrents at play.
Leading to rising tensions between castes over perceived
injustices and demand for quotas stem from unfulfilled aspirations of
employment and upward mobility. Simultaneously, quotas have failed to either
solve the job problem or promote inclusion.
In INDIA bloc’s thinking when caste
becomes central to livelihood issues which are centered on identification and
reservation, they feel there is a greater chance it will have greater electoral
pull than religion. Congress’s Rahul has already sounded the bugle “Jitne abadi utna haq,” to garner votes
and somehow dislodge Modi while Nitish has called for lifting 50% reservation
ceiling.
On the face of it, Opposition
leaders assert goal of caste census is OBCs welfare, Sic. It’s a ploy to divide
Hindu votes on caste lines to weaken BJP in 2024 elections. Said a senior
Congress leader, “Caste census would open another flank and create problems
for BJP. The axis would be pro-Modi vs anti-Modi and we will try to mobilise
OBCs. This will be Mandal 2.0, different from Mandal 1.0 which involved aggressive
OBC mobilization.”
Failing to realize politicisation of caste is a
double-edged sword. Caste needs politics as much as politics need caste. When
caste groupings make politics their sphere of activities they get a chance to
assert their identity and strive for power and position. True, none can fault
granting equal opportunities to all. But whether this would translate into
equal outcome is debatable.
Questionably, will not caste further fractionalize national
politics? Will the run-up to 2024 elections be fought on caste basis? What the BJP
and Opposition come up with will have consequences not just for INDIA bloc’s
electoral fortunes but future of polity itself. Will they take the bait? The
run-up to Election 2024 just got interesting. ---- INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)
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Grappling Farm Sector: DESI REMEDY, MORE FUNDS VITAL, By Shivaji Sarkar, 29 January 2024 |
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Economic Highlights
New Delhi, 29 January 2024
Grappling
Farm Sector
DESI REMEDY,
MORE FUNDS VITAL
By
Shivaji Sarkar
The
agricultural sector anticipates a significant shift towards a ‘desi farm
economy’ and increased budget allocations in the upcoming fiscal year.This
prospect is not merely wishful thinking; it aligns with the objectives outlined
in the 2017 Niti Ayog paper, which aims to double farm income.
However,
the recent budget for 2023-24 witnessed a reduction in allocations from Rs 1.33
lakh crore to Rs 1.25 lakh crore, marking a decrease of Rs 8 lakh crore or one
percent. This reduction is noteworthy as the agricultural sector received only
2.78 percent of the total budget, down from 3.78 percent in the previous fiscal
year.
In the
2021-22 budget, allocations were initially set at Rs 1.33 lakh crore but were
later revised to Rs 1.18 lakh crore due to unspent funds. The 2023-24 budget
indicates a Rs 3 lakh crore increase, primarily directed towards interest
subventions, signalling a concerning rise in farmers’ debts.
Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman prepares an election budget, and as matter of
convention it limits the introduction of new measures. However, considering the
crucial role of the agriculture sector, accounting for over 54 percent or
approximately 78 crore people, it deserves special attention. The Economic
Survey for 2023-24 highlights a decline in public spending in the sector to 4
percent in 2022-23, following prolonged farmer protests against market reforms.
Despite
the repeal of the three farm bills, corrective measures are essential to ensure
farmers’ independence from large-organised business sectors. The Indian farm
sector is grappling with severe economic distress, exemplified by over 296,438
suicides by farmers during 1995-2013 and 100,474 between 2014 and 2022.An
average growth of farming family incomes had an average growth of 0.44 percent
between 2011-16, according to Niti Ayog.
The developed world shows that
small farmers are out of agriculture and have not been able to increase farm
incomes. The US itself has a mere 1.5 percent in agriculture and facing
difficult situations. The current climate scenario further
exacerbates challenges, with the potential for drought-like conditions and a
decline in rabi yields. The dependence on rain-fed agriculture remains a
concern, mirroring trends in neighbouring countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh,
and Pakistan.
Agricultural
production, particularly wheat, has faced setbacks due to unexpected weather
patterns. In March 2022, a heatwave led to an 11 percent lower-than-anticipated
wheat yield, contributing to a decline in production. Similarly, heavy rainfall
in October 2022 and subsequent years affected various crops, highlighting the
vulnerability of the agriculture sector to climate fluctuations.
Price
volatility in essential commodities like potatoes, onions, garlic, and ginger
further compounds the challenges faced by farmers. The Reserve Bank of India's
firming up of interest rates adds to the burdens faced by both the farm and
industrial sectors.Despite the worsening climate situation, the budget for
National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) has seen a
reduction from Rs 50 crore to Rs 41 crore undermining efforts to address
climate challenges in farming.
The total wheat production in
the country has been steadily rising at 3 percent CAGR between 2014-15 and
2021-22. As per the Indian Meteorological Department, certain areas in India
experienced a heatwave in March 2022. The maximum temperature was 33 degree
Celsius, 2 degree more than normal. As per a study by the US Foreign
Agricultural Service, wheat yield in March 2022, in wheat growing areas was 11
percent lower than anticipated. Wheat
production declined by two million tonnes in 2021-22.
Similarly, in the first two
weeks of October 2022, crops such as paddy, cotton, blackgram, vegetables,
soybean, and bajra were affected across five States due to heavy rainfall. The year
2023 has not been different.Fluctuating yields of Vegetables like potato,
onions, garlic and ginger are causing price volatility. This season also
witnessed farmers throwing away cauliflower and tomato, though retail prices
remain high. This is a concern of the RBI, which is gradually firming up the
interest rates causing burden for the farm and industrial sectors alike.
The policy direction advocated
by the Niti Ayog 2017 report, aiming to shift 40 crore farm labour to low-wage
urban employment, has not yielded the intended results. Instead, it has
displaced farm labourers, increased migration, and raised labour costs for the
agricultural sector. This flawed policy, influenced by international organisations
such as the World Bank, has been counter-productive and needs correction.
Depletion of dependence on the
farm sector has not proved profitable for the economy. The developed countries
are suffering from this policy.Farm gate prices remained static from 1985
to2005 at $23 in India and more or less elsewhere in the world, according to
UNCTAD.
Minister for Agriculture
Narendra Tomar told the Rajya Sabha on 16 December 2022 that average monthly
income per agricultural household as per NSO is Rs 10218, an average Rs 2.2
lakh a year, about Rs 2000 a month per person for a family of five. The
Economic Survey in 2016 says in 2016 it was Rs 1700. The farmers find Rs 6000 a
year Kisan Nidhi pension and free food dole a great relief.One forgets that
they cannot afford the food they themselves produce. What farmer sells for Rs 2
is sold to retailer at varying prices of Rs 30 to 100.
The road
sector, seen as a beneficiary for farmers selling land, often proves
detrimental due to toll expenses. The road expansion, touted for benefits,
causes severe inflation. The Consumer Price Index touched an all-time high of
186.3 points in July 2023, with an average inflation of 5.5 percent, resulting
in a cumulative 33 percent rise in prices between 2016 and 2022.
The farmers’ losses are high,
consumers pay through the nose and the Government debts increase phenomenally.This
situation demands introspection. Despite private investments not increasing,
expenses on infrastructure and tolls are escalating.Sitharaman must reassess
farm economics to correct the budgetary course. A comprehensive review and
revamp of policies are essential to align with the agricultural base, fostering
the ‘desi economy’. This shift could pave the way for genuine growth and
happiness amid global turmoil.---INFA
(Copyright,
India News & Feature Alliance)
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INDIA Bloc Discord: WB, PUNJAB TO EKLA CHALO, By Insaf, 27 January 2024 |
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Round The States
New
Delhi, 27 January 2024
INDIA Bloc Discord
WB, PUNJAB TO EKLA CHALO
By Insaf
West
Bengal and Punjab have put a spoke in the INDIA bloc wheel, as of now. Both TMC
and AAP respectively have said a big no to seat-sharing with Congress and on
Wednesday last announced they would go alone (ekla chalo) for 2024
battle in their States. Some view it as a setback to unity efforts against BJP,
others see it as regional parties posturing for some hard bargaining. TMC supremo
and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told media “Let Congress fight 300 seats on
its own. The regional parties are together and can contest the rest. However,
we will not tolerate any interference by them (Congress) in Bengal…at national
level, TMC as part of INDIA bloc, will decide its strategy after elections. We
will do whatever it takes to defeat BJP.” Apparently, Didi is not just peeved Congress
is asking for too much, turning down her seat-sharing formula, but rather its
state unit president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who has been persistently making uncharitable
remarks and worse the party did not extend basic courtesy of informing about Rahul
Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra, entering her State on Thursday!
Her counterpart
in Punjab, Bhagwant Mann is on the same page. Said he: “We are not going with
them (Congress)…Punjab will become a hero in the country and AAP will win 13-0
in the polls”. Moreover, it has already held discussions on probable candidates
and names of 40-odd are being considered. A jarring note, alright, in the
backdrop of AAP and Congress having tied up for Chandigarh mayoral polls, to be
held on January 30. Congress will have to weigh options but has been quick in appeasing
Didi. Said its spokesperson: bloc INDIA “can’t be imagined without Mamata
Banerjee…TMC is an important pillar of the alliance.” There’s hope of
overcoming ‘small differences’ and asserted the bloc ‘will fight Lok Sabha
polls in West Bengal and all (partners) will participate.” The state BJP, which
has been gaining ground, is amused and questioned ‘ideological conviction’ of
the bloc. “It was all about just opposing Prime Minister and BJP to protect
their own political identities.” Not off the mark, but it should remember the
proverbial saying ‘politics makes strange bedfellows.’
* * * *
Bihar Rumblings
The Modi
government’s shrewd decision to bestow country’s highest civilian award, Bharat
Ratna posthumously on socialist, Jan Nayak and former Bihar Chief
Minister Karpoori Thakur months before general election appears to have set the
cat among the pigeons. The media is abuzz questioning whether Chief Minister
Nitish Kumar is going back to BJP camp as his speech praising Modi on the eve
of Thakur’s 100th birth anniversary on the one hand and taking a swipe at
dynastic politics has raised many an eyebrow. Worse, Rohini Acharya (Lalu
Yadav’s daughter) choosing to take a potshot at him with X posts “changing his
ideology as the wind changes its direction”, (deleted later), wouldn’t bode
well for ruling JD(U)-RJD alliance. Importantly, BJP is silently watching for
it may well have scored more than anticipated. The sheer timing of the award
would help it earn support among backward castes, especially EBCs (Thakur’s
caste being part of it), which Nitish is increasingly wooing with the caste
census. Plus, it would try to dent the hold Lalu and Nitish have as the OBC
leaders. At same time, a question that’s doing the
rounds is whether the award would be rewarding for the BJP to get Nitish away
from INDIA bloc and into NDA. Tale of jumping on and off the bandwagon?
* * * *
Manipur Treads Dangerously
Manipur continues to tread dangerously!
Wednesday last apparently saw the subordination of the Biren Singh government
to a radical Meitei group Arambai Tenggol, with a large number of armed
volunteers. In all, 37 of the state’s Meitei MLAs and two Meitei MPs
representing the valley areas met at Kangla Fort in what is being reported as
“summons” issued by the group. They all took an oath to promote and pursue
Tenggol’s demands, which include removing illegal Kuki tribes from the ST list,
replacing Assam Rifles with another force and scrapping the Suspension of
Operations agreement with armed militants, who allegedly killed civilians. This
after, a special Home Ministry team arrived in the troubled state for talks
between Meitei and Kuki communities.
The development which has largely gone
unreported by the mainstream media, triggered a strong statement from a
Kuki-Zomi body based in Churachandpur, the ITLF. It said: “For the first time
in history, a militia that led attacks on innocent civilians because of their
ethnicity and which openly displays sophisticated weapons stolen from police
armouries was able to order state lawmakers, including the chief minister, to
attend a meeting it had called and made the MLAs endorse their demands.” Worse,
it added “Manipur state police and central security forces remained mute
spectators as Arambai Tenggol leader Korounganba Khuman arrived at the venue in
a police vehicle, and the militant group proceeded to administer an oath-taking
ceremony to MLAs. All these happened even as a special team sent by the central
government is camping nearby in the city. Why did the world’s largest democracy
allow this… Today’s events have shown that Manipur’s government has submitted
its authority to an armed militant group”. Nine long months have passed since
May 3 last year, will the Centre have a solution or will it continue to remain
a mute spectator and allow the crisis to deepen?
* * * *
From Ram To Rashtra
From ‘Pran
Pratishtha’ to ‘Rashtra Pratishtha’. With the consecration of the
Ram temple in Ayodhya completed before the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Modi
changes gears and sounded the poll bugle on Thursday last from western UP’s Bulandshahr.
His message to the public at the massive rally: “On 22 January I got darshan
(glimpse) of Lord Ram and today I get darshan of janata janardhan…
in Ayodhya I said we from Dev to Desh and from Ram to Rashtra
is the path we now have to take and complete our mission of an advanced nation
by 2047…” Indeed, the timing was perfect to woo the voter and thus came along announcement
of development projects worth over Rs 19,100 crore and the usual attack on
Congress, wherein for decades after Independence, development was kept confined
to a few regions only and UP ignored. Clearly, the BJP is aiming to score
better than just 8 seats out of 14 in politically crucial western UP in 2019.
Importantly, he chose to recall former chief minister, late Kalyan Singh, in his
bastion and under whose tenure the Babri Masjid was brought down by kar
sevaks. Guess, the toxic mix of religion and politics will pay dividends. ---INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)
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Lord Ram Temple: THE GLOBAL RESPONSE, By Prof. (Dr.) D.K. Giri, 26 January 2024 |
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Round The World
New Delhi, 26 January 2024
Lord Ram Temple
THE GLOBAL RESPONSE
By Prof. (Dr.) D.K. Giri
(Secretary General, Assn
for Democratic Socialism)
The consecration of Lord Rama in the newly built temple in Ayodhya
was done on 22 January with lot of pomp, grandeur and festivity. It was a day
for national celebration. As the din settles down, the debate raging across the
country is whether politics and religion should be mixed. In fact, such a debate
is taking place in several countries across the world. Two questions,
therefore, need to be addressed. One, is using religion in politics desirable?
Second, how does international community react to religions?
Mahatma Gandhi, who effectively used religion in his public
activities, had famously said, “Those who believe religion and politics are not
connected do not understand either”. Albert Einstein made a similar statement,
“Those who believe that politics and religion do not mix, understand neither”. It is true that, after the death of Karl Marks
and decline of Marxism, religion along with other social identities has come
back almost in a vengeance. On the positive side, religion is one of the potent
sources for morality. Politics and morality are inseparable. Therefore,
religion is used as a moral compass for people in public life, especially
politics.
In electoral politics, it is easier to mobilise people on religious
slogans, metaphors and messages. Mahatma Gandhi used to call for establishment
of Ram Rajya (governance on Lord Ram’s principles). Lord Ram is regarded as the
maryada purushottam (greatest man of virtues). He lived his life on the
basis of dharma (sense of duty). Many Indian politicians especially from
BJP refer to raj dharma (duty in governance). On the other hand,
religion creates emotionalism that drowns material issues facing the people. No
wonder, Napoleon Bonaparte had commented, “Religion is excellent stuff for
keeping common people quiet”. Politicians whip up religious emotions during
elections to evade other substantial issues impacting people’s lives.
Although religion can be a double-wedged political instrument,
religion cannot be completely separated from politics. Indian Constitution
includes secularism in its Preamble which does not prescribe a state religion,
nor does it encourage state leadership to be actively participating in
religious affairs. It was not practiced in letter and spirit by any government.
And now, under the present ruling dispensation, the state is actively
participating in religious activities. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the
Chief Host was the cause celebre of this occasion. The Chief Minister of Uttar
Pradesh, the PM and the Chief of RSS were the three main figures in the
consecration ceremony.
In this column and elsewhere, I have written several times on
substituting secularism with a more practical and operable concept encapsulating
religious pluralism. This should happen sooner than later to remove any
confusion in the country and beyond about the dichotomy between the precept of
secularism and the practice. The second question to engage with is the
international response to India’s new image after the mega event of 22 January.
Many common Indians would not know the efforts made by Indian
foreign policy apparatus to popularise the event across the world. Indian
embassies went into an overdrive to spread awareness about the temple. The Indian
embassies held live telecast of the ceremony in Ayodhya. The images of Lord Ram
and the newly-built magnificent temple were displayed in major areas of the
foreign cities, from Times Square in New York to Eiffel Tower in Paris.
The highlight of the celebration in the United States was a spectacular
car rally in New Jersey with 350 cars adorned with Lord Ram flags. The
Government of Mauritius granted a two-hour special break for Hindu officials to
actively participate in the festivities. In Paris, a grand rath yatra
was taken out during the pran pratistha celebration in Ayodhya. In
Canada, mayors of Oakville and Brampton in the state of Ontario have declared
January 22 as Ayodhya Ram Mandir Day. They emphasised the cultural, religious
and historical significance of the temple’s inauguration and encouraged the
residents to celebrate the event. Global streaming of the consecration ceremony
was made available to several countries in the world. In the USA alone, the
streaming occurred about at about 300 locations. The United Kingdom, Australia,
Canada and Mauritius did the broadcast live at 25, 30, 30 and 100 locations
respectively.
In Nepal, another Hindu-majority country pran pratistha
celebration was observed enthusiastically. Several temples across Sri Lanka –
Colombo, Sita Eliya, Jaffna and other places celebrated the occasion. A special
pooja was held at Sita Amman temple at Sita Eliya (formerly Ashok Vatika) where
Sita was believed to have been held captive by Ravana. In New Zealand, the
Minister for Ethnic Communities Melissa Lee, David Seymour MP and Indian High
Commissioner Neeta Bhushan attended an event in Auckland. A Lord Ram temple,
first of its kind, was inaugurated in Queretaro City in Mexico. The ceremony
was performed by an American priest with idols taken from India. A Japanese
company has produced an animated film “Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama” in
1992. The children performed a Ramayana play around the consecration ceremony
in Ayodhya.
Countries in South-East Asia have historically cultural links with
Lord Ram. Even the East Asian country South Korea has the myth that Queen Huh
Hwang-ok or Princess Suriratna was the princess of Ayodhya before she went to
South Korea and married King Kim Suro of Karak Clan. Israel’s Counsel General
in Mumbai visited the Ram Temple in Vadela in solidarity. At the same time, the
Israel Embassy’s spokesperson Guy Nir posted a picture of himself watching the
grand celebrations on television.
The global celebration of the Ayodhya Ram temple inauguration
underscores the universal appeal of Lord Ram’s life and his teachings. At home,
people from other religions also accept Lord Ram as one of their ideals. However,
the present government seems to project Ayodhya as the citadel of Hinduism akin
to Mecca for Muslims and Vatican City for Christians. Ayodhya city is being
developed accordingly with modern and sophisticated infrastructure like railway
stations, airport, roads and hotels. These will attract international tourists,
mainly Hindus, to the temple city of Ayodhya. World tourism would benefit the
economy. India was known for Taj Mahal, henceforth it should also be a tourist attraction
for the temple in Ayodhya.
So far so good. What worries the observers is that the euphoria caused
by the temple in Ayodhya at the birth place of Lord Ram where a mosque was
super-imposed by the marauding army of Babar should not lead to the oppression
of religious minorities. As the foreign policy maxim goes, a country’s image
abroad is a reflection of what happens at home. Likewise, the strength of
foreign policy of any country is a function of its assets within its
boundaries. Social harmony is one of the major assets.
It was disturbing to see the flag of Lord Ram put on the cross in a
church as the consecration ceremony was going on. This act of vandalism was
flashed on the social media. If it is true, are Hindus not doing the same as
Babar did to the temple in Ayodhya? Mahatma Gandhi made another profound
statement, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians
are so unlike your Christ”. We should not let Christians and others from abroad
tell Indians, “We like your Lord Ram, but we do not like your Hindus”. ---INFA
(Copyright, India News
& Feature Alliance)
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