Topic: The BJP manifesto and the Rama temple in Ayodhya words: 560 The BJP has released its general elections’ manifesto with the key slogans, ‘Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat’; United India for better India and ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’; Participation of everyone in theirs and ours interests’. The BJP has envisioned a growth oriented agenda for India. It has promised more job creation, high growth with contained inflation, empowerment of youths and women, uniform civil code, protection of cow and other animals, protection and due respect to all minorities, other than promising specifics on rural development, investing in infrastructure, promotion to agriculture sectors, issue-based liberalization of the economy in Indian interests. Believe me, I have just watched it for few minutes and the agenda that I am talking is mostly an inference by me. So be a bit careful. But I know for sure that the BJP has softened its stand on Rama mandir issue and there are practical reasons for that too. The reasons are not only that it is mostly a non-issue for most of the people even in UP except for some die-hard believers in Rama and that it cannot fetch much votes but that it could repel individuals and parties supporting the BJP-led NDA from outside or inside if the NDA fails to get an absolute majority. And I know for sure that the NDA cannot get an absolute majority. Now even if the BJP had formally committed itself to construction of Rama temple in Ayodhya by negotiating with Moslems, through legislative means or by persuading courts to give early judgment in favor of Hindus, they all would have failed. Moslems would not agree by conscious choice as Hindus want exclusive mandir in Ayodhya. Or else, they would demand having job quota in Union government in return for giving some concessions on the temple issue. The BJP cannot meet such demands; not even to create conflict among the backward classes and Moslems. Moslems would not vote for the BJP even after that and the BJP would loose support among the backward community. The legislative route is obviously impossible as the BJP cannot get absolute majority. In case, hypothetically it gets, it would like to strengthen its position and there could be regional opposition towards legislative route clearing the way for construction of a grand Rama temple in Ayodhya. Now the apex court is not in a hurry to give verdict because if the BJP is in power in New Delhi it would wait and watch its behavior towards minorities, particularly towards Moslems. Or if the BJP cannot make it to the Center even this time then the apex court may consider it as the rejection of the BJP’s ideology or its incompatibility with others. Thereafter, the court would give a secular decision: two-thirds to Hindus and one-third to Moslems. The apex court can give full land to the Hindus only if the BJP succeed at Union level and treats Moslems well. Therefore, the Ramajanambhoomi issue is practically a non-issue at this moment of time and diluting its stand on the issue for a while could bring the BJP much needed alliance it may want after the elections. On the positive side, let me tell all that JD(U) in Bihar and TMC in West Bengal can easily come to the rescue of the BJP despite of present oral spat with it, if the latter proves its secular credentials to them.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Apr 2014 07:41:57 +0000
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