Chandigarh, 5 August (2020) With Hindutva forces pursuing of the upper-caste Brahmanic ideology for over a century aiming to reshape India into a Hindu Nation, the Democratic-Secular Indian Republic today stands formally transformed into a Hindu Rashtra as Prime Minister Modi laid down a 40-kg silver brick at the foundation, marking the beginning of Ram Temple at Ayodhya.
The Sikh intellectuals say, “The building of Ram Temple represents a saga of ‘triumphant Hindu Revivalism began with Government aiding the reconstruction of Somnath Temple in1950s, proclaiming to initiate ‘Ram Rajya’ in India. It presents a parallel to Pakistan’s story that turned the country into the Islamic Republic with the promise of establishing ‘Madina’ a fabled city of Prophet Mohammad seven decades ago.
March of Hindutva forces in name of re-enacting “Bharatiya Ancient Collective Consciousness” began with V.D Sarvarkar concretizing Indian Nationalism into ‘Brahmanic Hindu Nationalism’ whose first target became Mahatma Gandhi to be followed by a medley of riots and bloodletting of Muslims from Bhagalpur to Bombay to Bhopal to Gujarat and numerous cities and towns in North India.
Along with Muslims, the Sikhs too have been the target of Brahmanic Nationalism that began trampling the tiny Sikh Panth demanding Punjab Suba just after Independence. Instead of politically accomodating, Sikhs’ habitat, Punjab was robbed of natural resources, language, and culture. Branding as ‘anti-National’ during the 1980s the Sikhs were subjected to bloodshed, naked Indian State repression, and organized pogrom to crush the ‘Sikh Spirit and Unique Sikh Historical-Cultural Identity’ that has been challenging Brahmanic Varna Ashram Order –the very basis of ‘Hindu Rashtra’.
RSS leader Manmohan Vaidya admits that the Ram Temple coming up at a site where Babri Mosque stood for 500 odd years will “not mere block of concrete and stones but a symbol of faith and aspirations” of the ‘Indians’. The RSS aspirations have openly been political. They had already been acted upon since 1947 as unrepentant Indian Deep State never punished the perpetrators of communal frenzy for their lawlessness defiance of the Indian constitution. Rather the State prepared the ground for the Brahmanic Republic by conducting organized vigilantism, cow-protection, and anti-conversion laws, abolishing of article 370 in J and K, and bringing Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) signaling all religions and citizens are not equal in India. Now the reckless application of draconian law UAPA conveys the message to the targeted minorities and Dalits forcing them to accept that they are “second class citizens required to live at the sweet-will of the majority”.
Not only the Courts have validated Ram Temple and the media hailed it as “unprecedented homogenization of Hindu-ness” the political parties’ too chose to remain silent with Congress openly accepting ‘bhoomi pujan’ as grand celebration. Parinkya Gandhi tweets “(It is) an occasion for national unity, fraternity and cultural convergence”.
Eminent thinkers feel with Ram Temple being built on the debris of mutual inter-faith accommodation, and composite culture has brought in new Indian republic that accords official status to Brahmanic Hinduism pushing Muslims, minorities, and Dalits into periphery both politically and spatially.
Signatories to the joint statement of Sikh Vichar Manch, Chandigarh are Senior journalist Jaspal Singh Sidhu, Des Punjab editor Gurbachan Singh, author Ajaypal Singh Brar and former head of Punjab University Ambedkar Chair Prof Manjit Singh and Dalit leader Rajwinder Singh Rahi.
Issued by Khushhal Singh, general secretary, Kendri Sri Guru Sikh Sabha.
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