The ongoing bickering — as seen both out in the open public and sensed much more perhaps while it enacts itself behind-the-scenes and out of sight — amongst some of the most venerated and leading religious establishments in India over their respective claims and counterclaims to rights of priesthood at the Ayodhya Ramajanmabhoomi Temple inauguration has turned rather unseemly.
The rancorous squabbling under the full glare of public gaze amongst the most prominent religious “sampradayaas” and “peetadhipatis” over how to conduct the “praana-pratishta” ceremony at the newly constructed temple once more brings to the fore the archetypal bane of Hinduism and Hindu traditions: sectarian disunity.
Firstly, the 4 pontiffs of the Sankaracharya Mutts of Puri, Dwaraka, Jyotishmath and Sringeri failed to present themselves as the preeminent ambassadors of the Sanatana religion of pan-India. They did not speak in unison or unanimously about their respective views on the matter. Each had a different stance and tack and each spoke in riddles and oracles. Through their utterances and dubious double-speak they made no secret of the fact that they were either upset, miffed or very displeased at the treatment meted out to them by the Sangh Parivaar outfits which had commandeered and were organising the entire show at Ayodhya for the grand inauguration.
An outraged disciple of the Pontiff of the Kanchi Sankaracharya Mutt, saddened by the short shrift given to his Acharya, shot off an abjectly petulant Open Letter of protest directly to the Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi.
Then furthermore came again, and out in the open, the bitter rift between the Sri Ramanandi sects with the Nirmohi Akhara and the Ramajanmabhoomi Trust, both going hammer and tongs at each other, with one blaming the other for making an utter travesty of all the “pratishta” rituals.
The dominant Ramanandi Sect at Ayodhya has now also openly called for the removal of the chairman of the Ayodhya Trust and a few members in it too who do not belong to the Ramanandi fold.
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What does all this unseemly display of petty and petulant sectarianism that too on this otherwise truly historic occasion — which many are gushing over in fact as a “watershed moment in India’s civilisation” — seen by all of us simmering within the ranks of the Hindu religious leadership augur for the future of Sanatana Sanskriti ?
It poses clearly a grave detriment and imminent danger to the cause for which many Sanatana crusaders in several parts of India are today tirelessly engaged in at various levels of the Judiciary. Their hands now stand terrible weakened. Why ?
The cause I am taking about is the Movement to Free Temples from Government control of Hindu temples since it is a blatant violation of the Indian Constitution: https://organiser.org/2023/08/29/192780/bharat/free-temples-government-control-of-hindu-temples-is-violation-of-constitution/amp/
In Tamil Nadu , for example, the indefatigable fighter for the cause of wresting control of Hindu temples from the Government is Mr. T.R. Ramesh of the Temple Worshippers’ Society. ( https://g.co/kgs/ZwCDsQs)
For over 25 years now he has been bravely crusading in the Courts of the country for the release of all Hindu temples in the State from the clutches and control of a corrupt and politically-motivated Goverment statutory department known as the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Commission. (HR&CE) . Today his cases, filed in different Courts along with several others who have impleaded themselves in it, are still pending final adjudication by the Courts.
Some of the most uncomfortable questions that many in the general public, some within the Hindu community and , most certainly, a few learned judges of the Courts are asking HINDU Temple crusaders like T.R. Ramesh are these :
1. Granted that the Court rules that government control of Hindu temples under the HR&CE Act is unconstitutional and granting also that the Court orders the transfer of administration from the Government to the Hindu community bodies which were erstwhile trustees or custodians of such Temples, can you please explain to us
2. How exactly will the process of restoration of status-quo ante be achieved ?
3. Who are the persons or body of persons in favour of whom the HR&CE will relinquish control of temples ?
4. Will the transfer of power and control of Temples be effected into the hands of private/public body of trustees ?
5. How will such private or public trust boards be constituted ?
6. Or will the transfer be effected into the hands of religious Muttams or establishments? If so, then, establishments of which “sampradayam”? Which sect or sub-sect? Which religious denomination?
7. In the event of a future dispute arising over claims of trusteeship or custodial rights over any such freed temple , who and how will it get settled? Under which authority? By whom ?
At present there is absolutely no way of providing convincingly feasible answers to the above extremely difficult questions. In fact, crusaders like T.R.Ramesh find themselves at a complete loss over how to address them. Their predicament is understandable because at its very root and heart are so many complex motivations and agenda at play… and all of which are in full display, in fact, in the ongoing imbroglio we see today at Ayodhya in which Sankaracharyas, Akharaas, Ramanandis , Advaitins, Vaishnava sects are all seen to be involved and competing for (a) pride (b) power (c) pelf and (d) prestige.
When the larger Hindu community at large sees fractious religious leaders of sects and sub-sects bickering over ownership, control and the administration of the affairs of the Ayodhya Sri Ram Mandir in what is perhaps its truly “finest hour” that has arrived today after 500 long years, it makes one truly wonder what chance on earth there possibly is for success in the ongoing Constitutional “culture war” being waged in the country for freeing Hindu temples, once and for all, from the clutches of the Government.
And therein lies indeed the grave detriment and imminent danger to the the future of Santana Dharma! The Ayodhya Ram temple might well turn out to be just a minor battle won by the Hindus of India. But whether it signifies any prospect of victory in the greater war for the larger and more lasting cause of Hinduism’s future is a moot matter.
Sudarshan Madabushi