A DAY OF CIVILISATIONAL RENAISSANCE
- 22 Jan 2024 heralds a new dawn in one of the oldest Civilizational States of the world – Bharatvarsh or India.
- Lord Shri Ram is one of the major deities of Vaishnavite Hinduism and is considered to be the seventh avatar of Lord Maha Vishnu. Shri Ramji is popularly considered to be the Supreme Human and an epitome of fairness, righteous conduct and all that can ever be ideal in a human being.
- The great King Shri Ram, the eldest of the 50th generation of the Suryavanshi dynasty is estimated to have been born in Ayodhya, on 04 Dec 7323 BC, as the eldest son of King Dasharatha & Queen Kaushalya. Ram’s life and story is encapsulated by Adi Kavi Maharishi Valmiki in his famous epic Ramayana.
- Lord Ram is said to have married Sita of Janakpur, Nepal on 07 Apr 7307 BC and is said to have later left for Vanvas (exile) on 29 Nov 7306 BC, honoring the word of his father given to another queen Kaikeyi. It is during the vanvas that Maa Sita was abducted by the King of Lanka, Ravana, consequent to which followed a great game of divine pursuit. Lord Hanuman, as an emissary of Lord Ram, is said to have entered Lanka on 01 Oct 7292 BC and met Maa Sita on 02 Oct 7292 BC. The great geological wonder, Ram Setu was said to have been built by the Vanarsena between 26 Oct and 30 Oct 7292 BC. Ram is said to have laid siege to the gates of Lanka on 02 Nov 7292 BC and he is said to have killed Ravan after an intense battle on 15 Nov 7292 BC! Consequently, he is said to have returned to Ayodhya on 06 Dec 7292 BC. Through all these very challenging times, Lord Rama always stood choosing the harder right over the easier wrong and for ensuring the victory of the Good over Evil.
- Ram’s continued fame & influence and people’s immense faith in such an ideal Supreme Being – almost 9300 years, after his life – can be guaged from the fact that Ramayana is widely popular not only in India, but also across many countries of SE Asia, East Asia, Africa & the Americas. Yet, in India, it was ironical that the very birthplace of Lord Ram was itself under adverse occupation for more than 500 years, his temples destroyed and mosques build over its ruins as a matter of religious subjugation and assertion of religious intolerance & supremacy over the conquered.
- In a more modern era, consequent to a 134 year old legal battle, stretching across at multiple levels of judicial system in India, the Supreme Court of India finally delivered a unanimous 1045 page detailed judgement – based entirely on archaeological & historical evidences alone – on 09 Nov 2019, handing over the 2.77 acres considered to be the birthplace of Lord Ram, to a specially constituted Trust – The Shri ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra – to built a grand temple in His honour. Invoking Art 142 of the Constitution, the SC also awarded 5 acres of land to the opposing side to build a suitable grand mosque in Ayodhya itself.
- The consecration of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya on 22 January 2024 is the culmination of an epic struggle by millions of people in India stretching across many centuries & generations. It signifies the faith & undiluted tenacity and perseverance of the people of India at one level, while signifying the civilisational & cultural renaissance of India at another level – a symbol of the renewal of its hope and resurgence as one of the oldest civilisational states of the world.
- Hinduism is a unique religion – indeed a way of life, wherein, one seeks to see God’s presence in each living being. As such, every being is treated as born equal to every other being. It is the most diverse and pluralistic of all religions. It treats the whole world as one family – VASUDAIVA KUDUMBAKAM. These broadest of Hinduism’s basic tenents underpins India’s own unique concept of secularism and defines it as equal respect for all religions. This is indeed very different from the European concept of secularism which seeks a total separation of the church from the throne, yet see select clergy of narrow persuasions sitting along peers in parliaments and other select corridors of power.
- Hope this new dawn serves to unite all Indians as Indians alone and not to see our vast populace through multiple differentiating lenses & dividing characteristics of religion, caste, language, region etc, as pygmy politicians are bound to see our people.
- Ram of 2024 must symbolise Indian Renaissance & its peaceful rise – an India which is proud of its past heritage. Yet, its rise must serve all Indians, to refocus us all with immense vigour, on educating and right skilling all our people – in arts & sciences as well as in strategy, commerce, finance and trade. The upliftment of all our people towards India becoming a fully developed nation in the decades ahead must remain the sole purpose of all our national endeavours.
- It must seek to do away with the curse of caste and religious divides; in fact any form of hate must be crushed vigorously so that our nation grows to take its rightful place in the world. This constant idea of extracting political revenge – esp during election seasons – for historical wounds of the long past must be avoided completely. Babur was indeed an invader and was not an Indian by any stretch of imagination. Even his tomb is abroad, in the Bagh-e-Babar in Kabul, Afghanistan, though some seem to visit to pay obesience even today! However, it must be remembered that the Muslims of today’s India are all our fellow Indians by birth & heritage and must not be identified with random invaders who came only to loot, plunder & subjugate this great land that is India.
- We must engage the world on our terms, as a VISHWA MITRA – a friend of all – and together we must serve to herald a new era of peace, harmony and national regeneration. May our nation emerge strongly from a long period of subjugation, darkness & ignorance. Let no distorians mislead us ever again. Let us be led ahead by the light of knowledge & learning, of compassion & empathy. May we always stand tall on the side of peace and righteous karma!
Jai Hind!!
