With the foundation of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the historic cycle of three decades will move towards achieving its completion, the first religious-political point set by the then BJP President LK Advani in 1990. Even though on August 5, he will be a digital audience of the Ram temple foundation stone ceremony.
Ironically, to correct the 'mistake' of history that Advani did in the cover of religion in the last century, the 'Renaissance' of the majority Hindu society, the same history is refusing to give credit to Advani.
Why Advani, the drivers of the historic Ram Rath Yatra, all the wheels that have been or have been covered under the veil of the date. Today, the fruits of mangoes in the form of Ram temple are going to whose warehouses, then they were all in the infancy of their political careers. However, some memories of that Ram Rath Yatra that came out thirty years ago are still in my mind. Because I was selected as a journalist for the coverage of that trip.
Political gatherings, padayatras were held earlier, but I had not seen unprecedented public support and madness like Ram Rath Yatra. On the Rath Rath, Lal Krishna Advani went out on public awakening with the Ram temple. About three days of this long journey was also in Madhya Pradesh.
The yatra was to enter Madhya Pradesh from the west side and was going to enter Maharashtra via Chhindwara via Rajnandgaon via Bhopal via Jabalpur.
That Rath Yatra of Advani created uproar across the country. There was a deep curiosity in the media as well. The news came from the BJP office that there will also be a press party from Bhopal with Advani, who will cover the yatra. I was in Naiduniya Bhopal in those days. My editors late Madan Mohan Joshi and Umesh Trivedi said that I have to go with the journey and leave today.
Prepared immediately. Then BJP office in 74 bungalow itself. Lakhiram used to be in Agarwal's bungalow. It turned out that we have to walk along the journey from Jabalpur. From here the press party will be taken to Jabalpur. At that time there was an atmosphere of all-round simplicity in the BJP. There was no 'distancing' in the leader and worker today.
It was told that arrangements have been made for vehicles. Then our Delhi-based political correspondent Ramsharan Joshi also met. They also came to cover the journey. In a while, it was found that about four to six minibusses plying in the city would be taken to us. On this, some journalists expressed their anger and said that after sitting in the minibus for three days, our company will come out. Raghunandan Sharma used to watch media work then. Somehow half a dozen ambassador cars were arranged and we were dispatched.
Ramrajya Rath Yatra received immense public support.
After a night's rest in Jabalpur, we had to go on a journey together. Meanwhile, the news came from Bhopal that people were standing for reception till four o'clock in the BHEL area from where the yatra had entered. As if Holi Diwali is together. Some of the same atmospheres were seen in Jabalpur and beyond. Previously I had covered gatherings, also seen fairs. But the enthusiasm and enthusiasm of the people about the Ram Rath Yatra was amazing.
The women waited all night for Aarti's platter. Men used to dance with flowers and gulal. It was just this slogan, "Ram Lala Hum Aayega, Mandir will build the same." It seemed as if all the gods of Hindus were absorbed in Rama and the part of Rama was in Advani. Wherever the journey would pass, every village-locality would wish Advani to accept his hospitality and take the wishes of temple construction with him to Ayodhya.
We also had to stop along the journey. Advani would address on the chariot everywhere and explain to the people the cultural-religious intent of building the temple. At the same time, his political intent would be spread automatically in entire northwest India like an underground cable. Even though Advani was not a folk speaker like Atalji, he would speak in his own style and people would listen to him with a reverence like Katha Shravan.
As a media worker, reporting of the ongoing rath yatra was difficult as the means of communication were limited. There were only landline telephones on which news could be noted from STDs. The second solution was a fax. The problem was that the telephones used to be isolated. There was a crowd of people who took note of the news on them. It was not possible to stay much longer, because by then the journey would go ahead.
Somehow, one or two places got the news note on the phone and in the evening sent the fax 'Naiduniya'. Some seniors suggested that the rest of the experience be written later. Meanwhile, I kept trying to assess this inundation of faith in my own way. What was visible was like keeping the urge of a 'religionless state' on hold.
That experience of Ram Rath Yatra was truly an unforgettable interview with Lokman. For the first time, I saw that people were going crazy in a tune forgetting caste, pantheon, sex, and personal pain. Ramlila temple is to be built in Ayodhya. Although the Babri Masjid had not been destroyed in Ayodhya by then, there was no visible shadow of religious bitterness on the Rath Yatra.
Advani has described the planning and the story of the Ram Rath Yatra in detail in his autobiography 'Mera Desh, Mera Jeevan'. Advani writes that initially, the BJP had distanced itself from the Ram temple movement. Only Mrs. Vijaya Raje Scindia and Vinay Katiyar personally supported it. But I felt that now the time has come that it is necessary to involve ourselves in the fight for the defense of genuine sect absolutism and cultural nationalism.