It's done. The wheel of time willed it. A Ram temple in Ayodhya is firmly in place now. It tells us the tale of how empires and civilisations rise and fall. This moment in India's history is characterised by a strange euphoria earlier witnessed, perhaps, only in 1947 or 1971 - both times of tragic bloodshed, bereavement, and broken promises.
It's done. Ram Lalla is in Ayodhya, all is well with the world. Or is it? Has Ram Rajya really come to India? If the government of the day is to be believed for government is an honest institution, it indeed has.
So, where do we go from here: chaos or community? Martin Luther King (Jr.) was at his optimistic best in his last book before he was assassinated in 1968. One of the lines from this iconic book ought to guide us. "In the days ahead we must not consider it unpatriotic to raise certain basic questions about our national character."
If the majority of this country has chosen Ram Rajya, can we at least begin to behave accordingly, starting from the highest office of governance? Ram ji's name is enough to purge all evil. Gandhi believed in it. Those who claim to follow Ram ji and Gandhi ought to go back to this basic premise.
Now that there is an unprecedented mobilisation of the masses that cuts across political party lines, is there a mechanism in place to harness it for ushering in a way of life that Ram ji would have liked? At this moment, it is counterproductive to reject or revile the matters of faith.
It's done. And we have to move forward. Can the scenes of unadulterated joy and ecstasy that dotted the final phase of Ram Lalla's 'arrival' at his new abode be replicated for the process of nation-building based on the principles of equality and justice? Ram ji had suffered in his personal life to uphold the law of the land not once but many times. Can every devotee of him do the same at least once in their lifetime? Can this become a moment where the nation collectively vows that dharma - duty - indeed reigns supreme?
It's done. Ram ji is here. Because this is not a moment that ought to be tarnished with tawdry telling of not-so-flattering statistics. This is also not a moment for academic litanies and dogmas. But there is a wishlist that has been waiting for this second coming. Can every Ahilya now be brought back to life, can every labouring squirrel get her stripes?
It's done. We now need to allow ourselves a moment of reflection to assess the trajectory of our stride and make course corrections. Because it's now or never. The tone we set now will resonate for at least two generations. If faith be the answer, let's move forward with it with a liberal smattering of doubt! When Ram ji rejected absolutism and arrogance, who are we to embrace them? Is it not disrespectful to the symbol of our collective consciousness? We need to be ready to emulate the humility of Ram ji. And compassion. And an unwavering commitment to justice. We should be able to glance around and say it loud and clear, "I witness injustice, I reject and decry it in the name of Ram. I demand justice" even when the victim is not perfect.
Let this moment be a memory of when India chose and moved decisively towards the ideals of Ram Rajya. Let us move in the knowledge that Ram Rajya is not a project founded in exclusion. Neither is it an easy nor a permanent state to achieve. Every single act of injustice delays and tears it. There was no Ram Rajya before or after Ram ji. If he's here now, nothing should be stopping us from achieving those ideals. And if we squander this moment, this euphoria, what hope?
A cursory glance at our recent history ought to give us the knowledge of where we went wrong. And whom we wronged. After such knowledge, what forgiveness?
Ritual alone won't establish Ram Rajya. An adherence to Maryada - honour - in its truest form will.
Circling back to Martin Luther King, "We can no longer afford to worship the God of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. The oceans of history are made turbulent by the ever-rising tides of hate. History is cluttered with the wreckage of nations and individuals." This present tide of exultation ought to counter the ever-rising tides of hate. Or we'll be denied our Ram Rajya. We cannot afford it. And our Ram ji doesn't deserve it. We ought to choose community over chaos, every single time. We must.
To end,
Trin Dhari Ot Kahati Vaidehi
Sumiri Awadhpati Param Sanehi
(Nishtha Gautam is a Delhi-based author and academic.)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author.