We have past January 22. It was a significant day for India. Declaring it "the dawn of a new era" rather than "just a date on the calendar," its prime minister, Narendra Modi, expressed this sentiment. “It was the start of the expansion of consciousness - from the divine to the nation, from Ram to the entire nation,” he stated. The "next 1,000 years" of India's history, he said, will begin on that day. In stark contrast to the secular values contained in the Indian constitution, Modi's remarks heralded the arrival of "Ram Rajya" (divine rule) in that country. Nevertheless, the majority of the national media enthusiastically supported and repeated them.
A reputable national daily announced that January 22 marked "the awakening of the collective consciousness of the nation," while another declared that it was an opportunity for India to "define itself afresh," both following the prime minister's example. Arguments like this one went something like this: since Hindu divinity is fundamental to India, all Muslims, Christians, and other minorities should just accept this and go about their lives as such.
One of the most renowned Hindu gods, Ram, was dedicated to a freshly constructed temple in Ayodhya on January 22, which prompted celebrations marking the beginning of a "divine" India. This little village in Uttar Pradesh's northern region is revered by Hindus who think it is the birthplace of Ram. In Ayodhya, there have long been hundreds of temples devoted to Ram. But the Ram temple, dedicated on January 22, is not like any other temple. It is situated on the site of a mosque from the Mughal era known as Babri Masjid, which stood there for centuries until a crowd led by organizations associated with Prime Minister Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) destroyed it in 1992.
Over 2,000 people were killed in some of the bloodiest religious riots since independence when the 16th-century mosque was demolished. The demolition also rocked the foundations of India's ostensibly secular governmental structure. It has been impossible to overlook the significance of the new Ram temple at Ayodhya, regardless of the debates surrounding the morality and legality of its construction — for both Hindus and Muslims in India.