The site of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya had been witness to many historic shifts in its long journey of centuries. From being a fully operational mosque to a site being prepared for the construction of a Ram temple, there have been innumerable twists and turns along with the involvement of Hindu communalists of different strands in its different phases. Now the temple that is coming up heralds a phase when there would be hardly any distinguishing line between religion and state.

The celebrations made it very clear that the era started with the adoption of our Constitution, based on democracy, socialism and secularism was on its way out as the ominous signs of a new beginning were emerging with surprising clarity. The most cherished ideal of inclusivity that ruled our culture, the very ethos of our democratic structure was imposed upon by a blue print for a sectarian politics. Hindutva received an official status, with a strong possibility of turning the country into a theocratic state.

Ram temple rising on the emptied space where once Babri masjid stood for 464 years, and demolished in 1992, a crime as the Supreme Court termed it last year though handed it over now for the construction of temple, has been symbolic to beginning of a new era.. Majority domination was unacceptable in our democracy. In last seven decades, we have strengthened our unity in diversity that our history has proved. But now the days of crisis are at our door steps. It cannot be explained by onset of pandemic alone. Covid19 has only brought in the open the cracks that were all over the basic fabric, and causing not only damage, but a disaster.

The theocracy that we are moving towards has to have shifts not only in the religious communal sphere, but also in the economy and governance. Various world level authentic assessments have pointed to the alarming signals like slowdown of the economy and then its negative growth. There is ‘very severe’ stress in GDP growth, falling current account balance to GDP growth. After the fresh Covid spread rate, lockdown had to be imposed in several states bringing uncertainty to production process and the resultant job losses.

As it is, in the amended labour laws, the toilers have to slog for umpteen hours in return for reduced salaries, and all this if at all they are employed. The unemployment rate is closely related to economic growth as any fall in GDP points towards less production that in turn results in job loss for the toiling masses. This negative relationship also points towards absence of investment. The rate of unemployment was in 2019, 5.6 percent, and in August 2020, it is 8.67 percent till August 9. The GDP growth rate was assessed in 2019 as 4.2 percent, and in projected 2021, it is -3.2 percent.

The minus growth rate leads to unprecedented gloom, signalling a deepening crevice in the economy. Instead of taking steps for recovery, efforts are there to decentralise the public sector, privatising the banks, LIC and other industrial units like ordnance factories, coal mines, and many others. These are all the steps taken in the name of Atmanirbhar Bharat, a concept packaging to elude the masses. Packaging is there in the information flow too as there are attempts to reign the free media workforce. In the capital city of Delhi itself, there was brutal attack on three reporters, taking it to limits that were hitherto unprecedented. This indicates a warning signal, that degeneration is not unplanned. Every step to dismember our Constitution is a part of the saffron programme. (IPA Service)