The opening of the Ram temple in Ayodhya in early 2024 is definitely going to be a milestone for the BJP. The interview with retired IAS officer Nripendra Mishra was laden with information about the construction (‘Mandir will be opened for devotees next January’, April 9).
It was the Ram temple movement that shaped the BJP’s rise to the largest political party in the world; the promise to build a temple on the disputed site has been the saffron party’s promise since the early 1980s. Now, once the issue fades away, I wonder what’s next for the BJP! After all, religious nationalism and the BJP go hand in hand.
Ramanathan Kannoth,
On email.
The challenges of constructing the Ram temple are as challenging as the life of Lord Ram.
It was not unusual for Ram to be plagued by problems, coupled with his ego and emotions. Yet, by being fair and grounded, he got the better of them; this seems identical to the construction of the temple.
Like Ram, the nation will emerge as a winner and see the light at the temple… hopefully by early next year.
Praveen Thimmaiah,
On email.
It is wrong to hype up the construction of the Ram temple. It should never have been a political issue in the first place. Ram resides in our hearts, and he will continue to. I fail to understand why people are so emotional about the Ram temple in Ayodhya. It is just another temple.
Also, why isn’t anyone talking about the construction of mosque in Ayodhya? In fact, the temple and the mosque should be opened at the same time. That is the spirit of a secular democracy.
Vismay Saxena,
On email.
It will be interesting to find out whether reclaiming temples at Kashi and Mathura are on the BJP’s agenda. Its leaders know that it is the hindutva card that will give the party overwhelming majority in elections.
The BJP, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2029, might rake up the past and promise to build temples at Kashi and Mathura, like in Ayodhya.
K.V. Prasad,
On email.
BJP’s bad choice
It is unfortunate that national and regional political parties are hand in glove with each other, with democracy left in the lurch (‘Hand in hand’, April 9). Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and the allegations against the BJP have put the Congress in limelight and shows the BJP in poor light.
It is time the anachronistic laws and otiose clauses be consigned to the backyard for the promotion of a healthy democracy. The Congress is in a legal battle to lift Rahul unscathed from the defamation conviction, whereas the BJP indulges in personal vilification.
B. Rajasekaran,
On email.
The BJP is adamant about silencing the voice of the opposition, which is not good. Having said that, it was foolish of Rahul to have rejected, in 2013, the ordinance that gave convicted legislators legal remedies before disqualification. I am sure Rahul would be regretting it now.
Suraj Pandey,
On email.
The BJP is purposely giving Rahul some mileage. Wise men in that party know that a weak Congress is any day better than strong regional parties that can give the BJP a run for their money. The BJP would ideally want a two-party system to prevail in the country, where it is always a Congress vs BJP fight. There are many who believe that a two-party system is essential for any nation to build a healthy polity. Too many political parties will lead to chaos.
Ranjan Mathur,
On email.
Rahul’s surname remark was not only amateurish but also politically unsustainable. Clever BJP leaders twisted it as a deliberate assault on the OBC community. Rahul’s stature grew after his carefully planned Bharat Jodo Yatra, but it has declined after his remark in London about India’s democracy and his appeal for foreign interference.
Rahul’s stock has dipped further after former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and Congress veteran A.K. Antony’s son Anil Antony joined the BJP.
Kangayam R. Narasimhan,
On email.
Rahul will benefit from all that is happening now. The BJP should not have committed such a blunder. The more the BJP attacks Rahul, the stronger he is going to emerge.
These developments show that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are quite vengeful. Rahul’s ‘democracy in peril’ statement in the UK was what angered Modi and Shah.
Gaurav Malhotra,
On email.
Why leave India?
I agree with Pradeep Kumar that many students who are going abroad are coming back to India after not getting the desired results (‘Letters’, April 9). India is the land of opportunity and is globally acknowledged. Why even think of migrating to other countries?
Vivek N.,
On email.
Pak hand
It is a shame that the Punjab Police has still not arrested Amritpal Singh (‘Man and the manhunt’, April 2). I feel pro-Khalistan supporters are getting tactical support from the Inter-Services Intelligence in Pakistan as that country is desperate and isolated like never before.
Pranab Nair,
On email.