On January 22, Narendra Modi presided over the inauguration of the Rama temple in Ayodhya, in northern India. A temple built on the ruins of an ancient mosque. For the ruling Hindu nationalists, this was revenge against former Muslim invaders, and the beginning of a new era.
From our correspondent in New Delhi,
On this site there was previously a 16th century mosque. But Hindus say the temple was built on top of an ancient Hindu temple to honor the god Rama. Archaeologists have never been able to prove this claim. But in the 1940s, Hindus placed icons of Rama in mosques, and this started one of the most significant Hindu-Muslim conflicts in modern Indian history.
This division was exploited by the Hindu nationalist party BJP to attract votes and expand, and this ended with the destruction of the mosque by Hindus in 1992. Ultimately it was the Supreme Court that closed the case, five years ago, by offering the disputed land to the Hindus , and other land to Muslims.
Secularism
This new temple has now been inaugurated and rightly so The Prime Minister himself presided over this ceremony. Guided by a priest, Narendra Modi presented offerings to the deity. The religious role he plays as Prime Minister is at odds with the secularism of the Indian state.
This is not the first time that Narendra Modi has trampled on secularism in such a manner. A ceremony like this was carried out when the first stone of this temple was laid three years ago. And this confirms the BJP's desire to make Hinduism the state religion. In his speech after the ceremony, he put it clearly: “ Lord Rama represents the foundation of India, and must guide its laws. » Therefore, religion can inspire lawmaking, if we are to take the Prime Minister at his word, just as it does in a theocracy. All this comes as India celebrates its Constitution day, which is still officially secular, in three days in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Legislative
Three months before the legislative elections, how can this inauguration influence voters? During the public broadcast of the ceremony, the crowd applauded as they saw the arrival of the Indian Prime Minister. They all say that he was important in the fight to get this temple, and thank him. Narendra Modi has capitalized on this, arguing that he is a man of his word. “ Modi's guarantee ”, we can read anywhere in the city.
This recognition of Hindus will certainly turn into a vote, especially in the northern region where people are most attached to the Rama temple. Moreover, the opposition has not found an alternative discourse to maintain policies that are more secular and respect minority religious groups.
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