Ram temple consecration | RSS, BJP celebrate, counter campaigns by Left

The Ram temple consecration ceremony transpired as a relatively subdued event in Kerala even though the RSS and the BJP cantered around the state’s temples, urging grand celebrations.

While the BJP organised special ceremonies in numerous temples, led by their prominent figures, the general public appeared to lack the enthusiasm that such events often generate. Governor Arif Mohammed Khan along with BJP state leaders visited Remadevi temple at Thiruvananthapuram during the ceremony whereas the state party president K Surendran was at Rama Puram temple in Kottayam.

“This has the potential to be a game-changer in the state. The overwhelming backing extends even from other religions and minority communities,” said Surendran. “Christians and Muslims in the state displayed no objection to the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration. The CPM and Congress should reflect on why they isolate the Hindu majority community on rare occasions of joy and celebration. We anticipate unprecedented support from homes across Kerala, with lights illuminating every residence, creating a spectacular aerial view,” Surendran told the media at Kottayam.

Potential threat

On the other hand, the ruling CPI(M) leaders were busy campaigning about the potential threat of the country being transformed into a theocratic state with the prime minister participating in the Ayodhya ceremony as a “religious figure”. ‘The veneration of the deity held sacred by believers has been manipulated; Godse, who assassinated the father of the nation, has now appropriated Gandhi’s God also,” said M Swaraj state committee member of the CPI(M).

“Lord Rama, once a symbol of spiritual reverence, has been relegated to a mere political pawn. The government bears the responsibility to steer the nation in accordance with the Constitution. As a secular state with no official religion, citizens retain the right to practice any religion of their choosing. When a prime minister partakes in religious actions, it conveys a message that we may be jeopardising our commitment to secularism and democratic principles,” added Swaraj.

Airing concern

Many left leaders have posted the preamble of the Constitution of India as their profile images on social media as a mark of protest. Scores of cultural figures in the state also expressed concern about the consecration ceremony, pointing out that the temple is built over the debris of the Babri Mosque, and the prime minister and the RSS chief’s presence inside the sanctum sanctorum.

“I won’t visit the Ayodhya temple, no matter what. The deity I follow, Raman, is not the one who reigns a temple constructed on the ruins of the Babri Masjid. In the Arattupuzha Sasta temple, we worship a deity linked to Vasishta. Moreover, we believe that Raman, the deity at the Triprayar temple, annually pays a visit to his teacher. Instead of going to Ayodhya, where he does not reside, I prefer to stay connected with him as he comes to us every year,” wrote noted Malayalam author Ashtamoorthy on Facebook.

SFI campaign

The Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the ruling CPI(M), has organised campaigns across campuses in the state, setting up banners with messages such as ‘Ram temple is built on the tombstone of Babri Masjid’. Muslim organisations also conducted campaigns, asserting messages like “Babri is the only justice”.

No untoward incident has been reported from anywhere in the state. The BJP leaders had marked their protest against the government for not declaring a holiday for the Ayodhya consecration ceremony, terming it is an insult to the Hindu faith.

RSS outfits

The Sangh Parivar organisations had been actively campaigning across the state right from the beginning. Their mission included the distribution of consecrated Akshat from the temple in Ayodhya. In Kerala, these activities were organised under the Sree Rama Theertha Kshetra Samithi, with a goal to reach 50 lakh households.

They were successful in enlisting the support of prominent figures, including actors Mohanlal, singer KS Chitra, and state minister KB Ganesh Kumar, to accept the consecrated Akshat. This move generated significant buzz within political circles and on social media platforms.