Congress’ failure to differentiate between ‘religion’ and ‘Dharma’ will cost it dearly

The Congress has looked at this whole episode from both the western and the Marxist framework

The Congress party has shot itself  in the foot. And it wasn’t unexpected. The refusal of its top leaders to attend the consecration ceremony of Lord Rama on January 22 at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya will cost Congress dearly and permanently as it has now established itself as a party that  has complete disconnect with the masses.

The official statement issued to justify this refusal establishes this fact firmly that Congress is suffering from a Christian sense of morality as it termed the consecration as a religious ceremony and Lord Rama as a religious figure.

Religion And Dharma

Congress’s biggest failure has been to differentiate between religion and Dharma. This shows that the thought leaders in this oldest political party of India have no clue about the indic thought process with which a common Indian identifies.

‘Dharma’ is a Sanskrit term and it means a way of life that takes you towards enlightenment whereas ‘Religion’ denotes a way of worship. Dharma in practice comprises the unchanging, eternal, universal laws and the ever-changing socio-economic order in the light of these laws. Perceived oneness in the midst of all diversities (Avibhaktam Vibhakteshu) has been the eternal message of Sanatana Dharma or Hindu Dharma. And that is what Lord Rama presents.

Former President and one of the foremost authorities on Hindu Dharma Dr S Radhakrishnan said in his seminal work “The Hindu View of Life’, “Hindu Dharma adopts all traditions and remains non-dogmatic. The Vedas, the Samkhya, the Yoga, the Pasupata and the Vaishnava creeds, each of them is encouraged in some place or the other. Some think that this is better, or that is better, owing to differences of taste, but all men reach unto you, the Supreme, even as all rivers, however zigzag their courses may be, reach the sea.”

Hindus have always considered the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana as victory of ‘Dharma’. It isn’t associated with any particular way of worship. The Congress has looked at this whole episode from both the western and the Marxist framework and hence committed the historical blunder of equating ‘Religion’ with ‘Dharma’.  This is diametrically opposite to the understanding of these concepts by the common man on the street and  especially in context of Lord Rama.

Battle Of Civilisational Values

The struggle for construction of the Ram Temple lasted for 492 years. It began after the demolition of Ram Temple in Ayodhya by Mughal emperor Babur’s forces.  For the common people of this country, Babur was always seen as an invader. He represented a set of cultural values that didn’t believe in co-existence whereas Lord Rama represents cultural values that believe in  ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the whole world is one family) – that is how the society looked at the attempts to rebuild the Ram Temple.

The struggle for building a Ram Temple should have been seen by Congress as a clash between civilisational values. Babur and the mosque-like structure he constructed by destroying the Ram Temple represented the “intolerance” that isn’t the hallmark of Bharatiya (Indian) society.

Babri Masjid, as the disputed structure built on the remains of the Ram Temple at Sri Ram's birth place came to be known, was representative of a larger design whose manifestation began in A.D. 712 when Islamic invaders started attacking India. Every attack was followed by the demolition of temples and the construction of mosques and madrassas.

So the issue of ‘Ram Temple’ was a larger civilisational issue for the majority of the people of this country. It had nothing to do with being anti-Muslim. However, Congress, bereft of any sense of Indianness, has failed to understand this.

The current Congress stand thus indicates a lack of understanding of the  socio-cultural dynamics of this country as its thinking is deeply rooted in the Western and Marxist framework. The party’s leaders and backroom boys from the radical Left organisations only perpetuate this alienation of the Congress from India, Indic thought and the  conceptual frameworks that are deeply rooted in  wars which India have been fighting for certain civilisational values for the last 1,200 years.

Conclusion

Congress had already been perceived as an anti-Hindu party by the majority of Hindus in this country. Their commitment to Hindu Dharma which they try to show through ‘religious tourism’  during election season have positioned them as a party that is transactional about Hindus’ sentiments.

The lame excuses given to justify the refusal to attend the consecration ceremony has ensured that Congress has firmly established itself as an anti-Hindu party.

This would threaten the very existence of Congress as a national party and it is likely to become a ‘B’ team of smaller Muslim parties in India as its decision would  take away whatever Hindu votes it was left with.

Arun Anand is an author and columnist who has written several books. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication

SOCIAL: Ram Mandir: The current Congress stand indicates a lack of understanding of India’s socio-cultural dynamics as its thinking is deeply rooted in the Western and Marxist framework, writes @ArunAnandLive