A procession by a majority community into a minority neighbourhood, stone pelting by foolish residents, and the next day bulldozer retaliation by authorities, demolishing shops on the same street with the excuse of encroachments, spoiled the otherwise peaceful consecration of the Ram Mandir.
Tit for tat, right? But when the tit is done by an eighty percent majority, it could have been done in a wiser way.
The ‘bulldozer retaliation technique’ did not start in Uttar Pradesh but started in Israel, where the Israelis decided to teach the Palestinians a lesson; every time there was an attack by a Palestinian whether a suicide bombing or firing, bulldozers tore into the Palestinian neighbourhood and tore down buildings.
The Israelis were happy, and only now realise the war they are fighting is against those who resented such bullying, and who are now involving the whole world in their battle.
Yesterday’s bulldozers, today’s missiles, kidnappings, war and death!
Such retaliation techniques send out a wrong message.
From childhood I have been fascinated by history books revealing the story of King Ram of Ayodhya, but what I loved most was the kind of ruler he was, an archetype of the Maryada Purushottam, the perfect follower of rules, honour and traditions. Much of India’s fascination for him and that of the world, stems from their faith in him as the ideal ruler. What does that mean? Ram represents the kind of ruler who put his people and his nation above everything else.
Which is why, we as a nation, from the day we installed a temple to Ram, need to show the world what it means.
The world, war-torn and weary, is watching us. And if we want to make Ayodhya the capital of what Ram embodied, we need to start practising it right away. Bulldozer retaliation techniques, sloganeering to incite, and other harmful methods, though exciting and uplifting for the majority community, doesn’t serve the Ram Rajya purpose.
Modi’s speech, during the inauguration of the Mandir was tempered well, and came close to what Ram brought about as a ruler. Not our beliefs in Hinduism, nor Christianity, nor Mohammedanism, Sikhism or any ism should stand in the way of our ‘desh sarvopari’ or the nation above all else. That should be our slogan. That is what a Ram Rajya is all about, which will lift our country into what Ram created and is revered forever for doing so.
This message is not just for the authorities in Mira- Bhayandar, a suburb of Mumbai who used bulldozers to teach a lesson, but for all of us who belong to this beautiful land, whatever religion we follow, that we need to stop giving a wrong message, because a war-torn, weary world is searching for the right one…!
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Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and writes a daily column, which has graced the pages of over 60 newspapers and magazines, from a daily column in the Khaleej Times, Dubai, the Morning Star, London, and in nearly every state in India, from The Statesman in Kolkata, to the Kashmir Times in Kashmir to the Trinity Mirror in Chennai.
Important thing is no one can take law in their hands. Then these sort of bulldozing becomes inevitable of course it is not justifiable.
Epic.
We desperately need an impartial government and leader across religions, faith, gender and beliefs.
ONE RULE, ONE NATION.
Dear Bob
I do appreciate the above article you have written, but i am shocked and astonished that you have drawn similarities between the above incident and treatment of the Palestinians b by the Jews.
Appalling. Israel has always wanted peace but the Satanic and demonic cult called xxxxx
Has never wanted peace.
First Saturday people and then Sunday people had been there war cry.
May i refer you to the Bible for further clarification.
The Old and the New testament.
I’m quite sure that your Knowledge of the Bible is very limited. Thats depressing.
I haven’t read a single article as Thought-provoking as this one… Non-judgemental, you have opened the eyes of an uneducated cult of people by silently making way through their biased Minds… We need many more like you Bob????
Buldozers do not give justice. It just tells d world that d authorities r just bullies.
Bob your today’s column is given each of us a time for introspection. Tit for tat or the Old Law eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth is not the solution for the problems we are facing today. But the weapon Gandhiji used – nonviolence and tolerance against the British who ruled over India for two centuries. They were over confident as they claimed that the sun never sets on the Empire – so proud. They had to bow down before the divine weapon used by Gandhi – non violence and tolerance. In today’s situation, Apostle Paul’s advice to the Philadelphians is most appropriate: “Do nothing from selfishness or conceit but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his interests but also to the interests of others” – I believe that this is the Right Message for our wounded world of today.
When any ‘majority’ bulldozes or retaliates any ‘minority’ unlawfully, then it amounts to malice and destruction.
No religion across the globe supports this insane violence.
We as a nation didn’t install the temple. It was a majoritarian project since Advani’s ill conceived Rath Yatra which culminated in the vandalism of Dec 6, 1992. Desh Sarvopari as a concept puts the cart before the horse. It is against the spirit of the Constitution of India which begins by saying “We the people… “. Finally, you shd know that Mohammedan is a pejorative term. It is Islam.
A thoughtful and balanced article which sums up every right thinking Indian’s feelings.
The very foundation of our country is secular and egalitarian with values of conscience and belief in doing right by all, which is what believers in Ram should follow.
Vikrant D’souza’s right. The Israeli nation has to kill or be killed by the enemy.And Ramayana was mythology not history.Valmiki wrote it In the story Ram is a hero who cared for his nation. A parody,Kimayana was also written because the king of Srilanka was portrayed as Hanuman and soldiers as apes, by a literary writer
Relevant issues raised by some above. But let us not overlook the import and thrust of the message….that the India of today, after the construction of the temple in Ayodhya (and the construction of a Muslim mosque to commence soon hereafter) can exemplify to other nations at war, the concept of Ram rajya and all the good, peace and contentment it can bestow on its practitioners. Tolerance – in all kwalis of life – is seminal to Ram rajya. Let us pray!????