Ram temple ground breaking: BJP, VHP upbeat amid Advasi criticism

Ranchi: Excitement among Hindu outfits and their functionaries reached a fever pitch on Tuesday on the eve of the scheduled ground breaking ceremony (bhoomi pujan) of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Meanwhile, Congress’ state unit announced it would celebrate the day by lighting diyas at its offices.
BJP’s legislative party leader Babulal Marandi and Ranchi Mayor Asha Lakra sent off 20 pahans (tribal priests) to Ayodhya with soil collected from various Sarna Sthals, ignoring sharp criticisms and threat of social boycott from various tribal outfits.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) functionaries decked the city with posters, banners and hoardings and saffron flags bearing images of Ram and Hanuman at the city’s prominent roundabouts. Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth urged denizens to light up candles and diyas in their respective homes on Wednesday to mark the occasion and hold special prayers in the morning.
Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth, who travelled to Ayodhya in 1992 for ‘Kar Seva’, was busy overseeing the preparations of one lakh laddoos which he plans to distribute on Wednesday. “I also urge people to go to their respective balconies and terraces at 12:10 pm and ring bells and blow conch shells for 10 minutes to commemorate the ground breaking,” Seth said. On Monday, Seth had urged the Jharkhand government to put a stop on the sale of liquor and meat on Wednesday to mark the occasion.
The VHP also said special prayers and pujas will be held across temples of Ranchi to mark the occasion.
While the state BJP leadership said the party will not host any celebration, its state president Deepak Prakash said, “Our party and its workers will stand with the country men and Ram bhakts in their celebration. As a Ram bhakt myself, I will offer my prayers to the deity and Lord Hanuman at my home.”
The state BJP unit also formally urged the government to ask temples and other religious places to hold special pujas. In a statement, BJP spokesperson Kunal Sarangi said, “The prevailing restrictions on places of worship threatens to dampen the excitement among revellers. The government must intervene at once.”
However, tribal outfits were miffed at BJP’s effort to send soil from Sarna Sthals. Several tribal outfits under the banner of Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad, Kendriya Sarna Samiti (KSS) and other outfits, condemned the move. KSS president Narayan Oraon said, “The conduct of mayor Asha Lakra, former MLAs Gangotri Kujur and Ramkumar Pahan have insulted the tribal culture and religion. There move also leads to idolatry from nature worship. Their conduct has hurt religious sentiments of the tribal community at large.”
Prakash, however, said the reactions were motivated. “The outfits are being instigated by Christian missionaries. In 1992, several tribal people, including Babulal ji, volunteered for Kar Seva. The allegations being made by tribal outfits are baseless,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, Congress’ Jharkhand unit also announced to celebrate the day. Jharkhnd party president cum state finance minister Rameshwar Oraon said, “Congress has always support the temple and it was late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who first initiated the move in this regard taking all religious communities into confidence. Thereafter, late Prime Minister Narashima Rao carried on with the initiative.” Congress spokesperson Alok Dubey added that the party has decided to light diyas at its offices to commemorate the occasion.