PM Modi warns India's adversaries, terms Ram Temple ‘bhumi pujan’ a golden chapter

As he prostrated before the ‘Ram Lalla’ minutes before laying the first brick for the Ram Temple in a gesture aimed at reassuring his party’s core vote bank, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called for emulating ‘’social harmony’’ from Lord Rama and also signalled to India’s adversaries that the country would not hesitate to use force to gain their respect.

Speaking before the invitees at the ceremony, mostly seers, after the groundbreaking ceremony, Modi termed the occasion as a ‘’golden chapter’’ in the country’s cultural history as he sought to compare it with the ecstasy felt by the countrymen on getting independence.

Modi, who began his address with the chant of ‘Jai Siyaram’ (Sita and Rama) instead of the popular slogan of ‘Jai Shriram’, said that not only the country but many other nations in the world were also celebrating the occasion.

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‘’Its an emotional occasion also….we have been waiting for this for centuries….the wait is now over….crores of people will not believe that they are witnessing this moment,’’ the prime minister said.

Drawing from the Hindu epic ‘Ram Charit Manas’, authored by Tulsidas, the Prime Minister said that Lord Rama had taken help of every section of the society in his fight against Ravana. ‘’Lord Krishna too had been helped by the villagers in holding the Govardhan,’’ he said adding that Lord Rama was the symbol of social harmony.

‘’We have to take care of the feelings of every one….Lord Rama used to treat everyone equally but took special care of the poor,’’ he said.

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Modi also quoted from the same epic to drive home the message that a strong India only could gain respect from its adversaries. ‘’Bin bhai hohin na preeti’’ (there is no love without fear), he said referring to Lord Rama’s warning to the Sea, when the latter did not allow him and his army of monkeys to cross over to reach Lanka to fight Ravana. The Sea gave way when Lord Rama picked up his bow and arrow to attack it.

The Prime Minister also sought to link the ceremony with the struggle for independence. ‘’Just like sacrifices for the nation’s independence, sacrifices were also made for the Ram Temple…..attempts were made to erase its existence but Rama continued to live in our hearts,’’ he said.

Modi said that the Ram Temple would turn out to be a ‘’unifying factor’’ in the country and a symbol of our ‘’modern culture’’.

He also referred to the Ramayanas written in different languages and said that though the stories might differ, the central focus of them all was one and that was Rama’s commitment to the truth.

Earlier Modi visited the famous Hanumangarhi temple and later planted a sapling of ‘Parijat’ (nyctanthes arbor-tristis) tree at the Ram Janmabhoomi. The ‘bhumi pujan’ was performed amid chanting of Vedic mantras and Modi laid the first brick exactly at 12.44.08 PM, the auspicious moment fixed by the priests.