Half-day off on Ram Temple consecration: Sanatan rises, Congress drowns

RAJ DALUJA

Amid slanderous campaign by the Indian opposition to belittle the sanctity and huge historic significance of the Ram Temple consecration on January 22, voices are now being raised over the announcement of half-day holiday in the central government offices across the country to enable people watch live the celebrations from the holy township of Ayodhya.
History is replete with instances when the Hindus like Jaichands, despite being the natives of the exclusive land of Sanatanis, collaborated with aggressors and remained instrumental in the perpetual persecution of the followers of Dharma. That syndrome continues even now with the difference that the number of Jaichands is far far more than those horrendous times that changed the character of Bharat for centuries. The modern day Jaichands are bruising and abusing Sanatan with a sense of pride.
The opposition to the Ram Temple and rituals associated with its opening are being perpetrated by the pseudo seculars and not the Muslims. They are omnipresent even now in every forum and platform to demean the grand occasion. On the contrary, the Muslims are so excited that a few girls are walking on foot from Mumbai and Gujarat to reach Ayodhya, Muslim girls and artists are singing Ram Bhajjan, which have hugely gone viral. The Prime Minister has even posted a Bhajjan from a Muslim girl from Uri in Kashmir on ‘X’. Muslim artisans and skilled workers have contributed immensely in the construction of the temple. For the great event, flowers are being supplied by the Muslim farmers. But the Congress and pseudos, dominated by urban Naxals, certainly have problems.
Why should there be any objection to half-day off on an occasion that is happening after the long and painful wait of nearly 550 years by over a billion Sanatanis? Holidays are part of the Indian calendar -be it Eid or Diwali, Baisakhi or Christmas, Mahavir Jayanti or Nauroz. Despite being in majority, Hindus have been observing holidays in offices and educational institutions several times a year on the festivals of minorities. The heart-burn over a few hours off from the offices on January 22 is actually inherent hatred for Hindu festivals and rituals.
The opposition led by the Congress never raised any objection when the Bihar government changed the duty hours for Muslim officials and staffers during Ramzan, by issuing a circular on March 17, 2023, facilitating them to come to duty one hour before the normal duty hours and leave one hour before the office leaving time. How could they work in the offices for one hour without their colleagues, whose number is certainly far higher than Muslims?
The opposition did not object to a circular issued by the Bihar government on November 26, 2023, curtailing school holidays on important Hindu festivals. Similarly, no voice of dissent could be heard when under the nose of Ashok Gehlot led Congress government in Rajasthan, instructions were issued on April 5, 2022 for ensuring uninterrupted power supply in Muslim dominated areas to prevent problems for those fasting during Ramzan. Such orders were never issued on festivals like Diwali or Holi.
The Congress and its allies in the INDI Alliance are spilling venom over the consecration of Ram Temple by dubbing it as a BJP or Narendra Modi event. They have been racking up one after another issue, like Shankracharyas not attending the ceremony, the idol of Ram Lalla being larger than the size of Bal- Ram, the sanctum sanctorum having been built three kilometers from the birth-place, the ceremonial date being not so auspicious, the temple being incomplete, the grand temple having been raised over the land of demolished mosque etcetera. They have also been alleging politicization of the Ram Temple by the BJP in the run up to the 2024 general elections to Lok Sabha. They have also been describing the ceremony as the Modi Show. Annoyed over not being invited for the ceremony initially, all the opposition leaders decided against participation in the event once the invite was received.
The fact of the matter is that the Indian opposition in general and the Congress in particular is not against Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the BJP; they are against the rise of Sanatan Dharma. They are against Lord Ram. They are against the Hindu philosophy. BJP or Modi is just an excuse.
However, the Congress is forgetting that a civilization and dharma that survived over a thousand years of subjugation, and persecution of Mughals and other aggressors for nearly 800 years, has innate strength to overcome all the challenges. If the Sanatanis have withstood the onslaught of pseudo seculars for over six decades post independence, they can weather the ongoing storm over the Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha as well. The hue and cry is actually a sense of fear over the rise of Sanatan. It is good that the Congress is scared over the rise of the Temple in Ayodhya. This is the renaissance of the world’s great civilization. The Congress’ fear is justified.