The foundation laying ceremony of Ram Mandir is the beginning of a new cultural nationalism and cultural dominance – the dream of the RSS for decades. The BJP and its parent RSS have rejected the idea of composite nationalism and favoured cultural nationalism. The BJP has been agitating for its core agenda since its inception in 1980, though BJP’s critics call it a majoritarian agenda. The party is jubilant as in the first year of Modi’s second term he managed to deliver two of them.

Modi was able to deliver because of three main reasons. The first is that for the first time, the BJP managed a big mandate – first in 2014 and then in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The second is the weak opposition as it has given a free hand to the saffron party. The third is that the BJP does not need to woo the Muslim vote bank as the majority is with them.

Let us take Kashmir first. It was on August 5 last year, the state was bifurcated and also the Article 370 giving a special status to Jammu and Kashmir was abrogated. The move naturally attracted international attention and criticism.

But even after one year, things are yet to become normal. The entire political class has been under arrest and even a year after some of the leaders including former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti have not been freed. There is a political vacuum on the one hand and the existing political class has been incapacitated on the other with the result there is no political activity in the state for more than a year. Many demand that the detained leaders should be freed and elections should be held. After the PDP-BJP government fell in 2018; the state has been under continuous Governor’s rule. Former minister Manoj Sinha has taken over as Lt Governor last week, the second in a year. The militancy in the state is reduced but not ended. The people of Kashmir have been facing a double whammy: Lockdown on one side and curfew on the other for the past many months. The promised jobs are nowhere and the industry including the shawl and fruit export etc. has suffered. Tourism is dead. Communication has broken down and schools and colleges are closed.

In this regard that Manoj Sinha’s statement after oath=taking is significant. “There should be peace and stability in Jammu and Kashmir. The situation of uncertainty should end, terrorism should end. Achieving all this along with accelerated development will be our aim, our mission.” The challenges before him include the delimitation, Assembly elections, resuming political dialogue and restoring full statehood. The trust deficit should also be bridged and there should be a reconnect with the people.

As for Ram temple, the Supreme Court verdict has strengthened the government and with law on its side and the Muslims have reconciled to their fate that they will have a masjid in the plot given to them elsewhere, not much problems are expected. The temple trust would have the support of the State government and the Central government both ruled by the same party. Money would be no problem as donations are pouring in. The big temple would be ready by 2023, perhaps in time before the 2024 elections. BJP leader Vinay Katiyar has already claimed that temple building at Kashi and Mathura are very much in the BJP agenda.

Now that only the Uniform Civil Code remains of the BJP’s core agenda, the Modi government might think of bringing a law soon when the Covid-19 challenge is behind. Along with that there could also be also be some measure for population regulation.

The BJP and the RSS are now convinced that the dream of Ram Rajya is possible with a majoritarian dominance, if the trend continues. Modi is their chosen messiah now.
(IPA Service)