Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday alluded to the Mahatma's concept of ‘Ram Rajya' in the context of the court verdict on the Ayodhya title suits, instantly drawing flak from Gandhians and Congress leaders.
After garlanding the statues of the Mahatma and Kasturba Gandhi, and attending an all-religion prayer meeting at Kirti Mandir, ancestral home of Gandhiji in Porbandar, Mr. Modi, in a chat with journalists, said it was a good omen that the Allahabad High Court's judgment paving the way for construction of a Ram temple at Ayodhya came just two days before the Mahatma's birth anniversary.
He said Lord Ram always had a “special place” in Gandhiji's life and the Father of the Nation dreamt of establishing a “Ram Rajya” after Independence. “Let us all take inspiration from the Mahatma this day [Gandhi Jayanthi] to renew our faith in the concept of Ram Rajya,” he said. Mr. Modi wrote similar lines in the visitors' book at Kirti Mandir.
At this, Gandhians and some Congress leaders pointed out that Mahatma Gandhi had dreamt of “Ram Rajya” and not of the Ram temple. Advising Mr. Modi to translate into action Gandhiji's “true concept of Ram Rajya,” they said the Mahatma never supported any move that could even remotely bring about communal disharmony among various sections.
Later, addressing election rallies in Porbandar and Bhavnagar, Mr. Modi attacked the Congress. He claimed that the Delhi Commonwealth Games would go down in history for the “large-scale corruption among Congress leaders.”
Keywords: Narendra Modi, Ayodhya verdict
Mr. Modi is trying to distort what Mahatama Gandhi said. For Gandhiji "Ram Rajya" was not a religious concept but a term which was commonly used in India of that time to mean "good governance" and "welfare state". He used that term because it was understood by the common man. It should be remembered that the Shankaracharyas did not recognise Gandhi to be a Hindu and Gandhi could not have been unaware of Ambedkar's criticism of Aryan epics and mythology which demonized Dalits. So Mr. Modi's comment is certainly a gross distortion and needs to be condemned.
Having supervised the brutal killings of muslims during Gujarat riots, and thus showing an utter disregard to Gandhian principles of truth and non-violence, Mr. Modi has no moral right to take Gandhi's name and speak of "Ram Rajya" that Gandhiji has envisioned.
It is indeed a welcome change in the mindset of new era politicians,to know and practice the real essence of Gandhiji's work,and realize the need of Gandhian ideas and principles of non-violence in today's world of mistrust and fear of the other. All the political and religious groups should come over beyond religion and bring out the 'Mahatma' from inside and make India a true Ram Rajya.
Mr. Narendra Modi is correct. We should thrive for Ram Rajya. Congress always brings the race issue to get more votes.
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