K K Khosa
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the spearhead leading resurgence of India’s centuries old cultural and civilizational ethos which lay somewhat dormant during the past one thousand years of foreign subjugation.
That the foundations and resilience of thousands of years old sanatan dharm are very strong need not be reiterated. Our great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata bear ample testimony to the fact that our Divine Avtars lived in this sacred land Bharat many millennia ago and showed us the path of righteousness to be tread while leading our lives on this planet. The evidences of their presence are found throughout the length and breadth of the country and even abroad where they laid their feet while clearing the world from the demonic and antisocial forces of those times. Sanatan Dharm is as old as the sacred Vedas. There is still no conclusive evidence to pin point their age. Suffice it to say that Sanatan Dharm has been existing eversince the universe came into being. Manifestations of our sanatani ethos are widespread over the entire length and breadth of our nation in both physical and spiritual terms and also in the form of various Mutts and shrines that were established from time to time. Inspite of the sinister designs and acts of vandalization and complete destruction of many of them by foreign marauders throughout the centuries there was still enough that remained from which almost every single facet could be retrieved and revived. Of course our worthy ancestors had to pay a high price through the centuries fighting these diabolical forces in order to protect Sanatan Dharm. It was high time it’s resurgence took place not only substantially but in full measure.
The Modi Government’s many steps that have been taken during the past nine years towards the resurgence of sanatan dharm can be broadly enumerated as under.
The grand and expansive restoration work done for the Kashi Vishwnath temple in Varanasi is one such example. Some four hundred structures have been acquired in order to restore the past glory and grandeur of the temple as well as the Ghat on the banks of the holy river Ganga. Varanasi, where Kashi Vishwnath temple is situated is considered to be one of the holiest of Indian cities which has been visited by many revered sages and holy men through the centuries. The greatest among these is Adi Shankracharya Ji, who traveled through the length and breadth of the country to promote sanatan dharm by establishing temples and centres of learning at different places in ancient India. One greatest belief associated with Holi Kashi is that anyone dying a natural death here automatically attains moksha which every Hindu aspires for.
The second example of Modi Ji’s contribution towards upliftment of sanatan dharm is the building of the Ram Janmbhoomi temple in Ayodhya. Shree Ram Ji is the Revered deity of hundreds of millions of people living all over the globe. In the years to come Ayodhya will surely emerge as the religious capital of India thereby providing greatest boost to resurgence of sanatan dharm in our sacred land. Third example is that of re-development of Kedarnath Dham which had suffered extensive damage in the year 2013. Modi Ji has not only restored it’s pristine glory but has also launched the Char Dham Pariyojana project connecting Yamnotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath to create a circuit for the convenience of the ever growing number of devotees performing the Char Dham yatra.
Although the list is quite long but one more example needs to be mentioned in order to emphasize the fact further. Mahakaaleshwar temple in Ujjain has been developed extensively where a museum displaying artifacts has also been established adding grandeur to the huge complex constructed on the banks of river Shipra. Re-development project of Holy Somnath temple has also been launched last year and this project has it’s own significance. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first president of free India had inaugurated the restoration work of this temple earlier. Somnath temple had repeatedly faced plunder and vandalism at the hands of Mahmud Ghazni during the medieval period.
Yet another area which has been the focus of attention of Narendra Modi Ji led GOI has been the restoration of the original names of ancient cities, monuments and locations which had been forcibly changed by marauders and rulers. All such places have been living symbols of our ancient culture and rich ethos. Such efforts are laudable and need to be supported by all.
Many challenges that exist today are from forces of radicalization and conversion which resort to use of force, enticement, allurement, indoctrination, incentivization and other means as their modus operandi. Use of social media and utilizing services of organized gangs and syndicates, promoted and funded in many cases by foreign forces is yet another mode of their operation. The sole objective of such forces is to reduce the strength of followers of sanatan dharm.
Back home the videos doing the rounds in the aftermath of the congress govt. coming to power in Karnataka are alarming to say the least. Radical maulanas mince no words in announcing that toppling Narendra Modi Ji in 2024 is their sole objective. Another instance that warrants mention is how a five centuries old jain temple in Muzaffar Nagar near Badhana has been closed recently and idols shifted to another temple just because the jain population of that area has reduced to only 20 percent where it was in a majority seven decades back.
The juggernaut of resurgence must continue to exist for at least another decade to achieve the objective of complete rejuvenation of sanatan dharm to counter forces of destabilization and radicalization. Else the good work done by Modi government during the past nine years might come to a naught.
In the same vein restoration of syncretism in the valley of Kashmir from where lacs of sanatanis had to flee lock stock and barrel thirty three years back needs to be restored urgently. This will happen only when the aborigines are settled back in the land of their forefathers with honour dignity and full sense of security. For this purpose a comprehensive and robust return and rehabilitation policy has to be formulated by the government of India. Kashmir is undoubtedly a different place today where comparative peace and normalcy has been re-established to a large extent. Yet there is no denying that Sanatan Dharm still continues to remain at the fringes. Many of it’s symbols of including temples and shrines continue to remain vulnerable and easy prey for land mafias and other unscrupulous elements who have been eyeing these assets for the past thirty three years. Inspite of many requests concrete action by the government continues to remain elusive. Kashmiri Pandits are nationalists to the core and are ever eager to render their contributions towards nation building.They are eagerly waiting for justice to be delivered to them. In the meantime they derive solace from the words of John Milton who wrote in his poem “On his blindness”, “They also serve who only stand and wait.”
(The author is President Kashmir Pandit Sabha, Jammu)
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