New York, The recent inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, built on the site of the demolished Babri Mosque, symbolizes a shift towards Hindu supremacy in India, as per reports by TIME magazine and other US media outlets.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the inauguration event held on Monday is a significant political milestone for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), reflecting their commitment to Hindu supremacy over Muslims in India. TIME’s correspondent Audrey Truschke, reporting from New Delhi, stated that the BJP’s rise to power in 2014 marked the beginning of a transformation of secular India into a Hindu supremacist state. The party’s use of Hindu nationalism around the Babri Masjid issue played a crucial role in its political ascent and the displacement of the Indian Congress Party.
The Supreme Court of India, under the influence of the Modi government, ruled in favor of constructing a Hindu temple on the site of the destroyed mosque, a decision that TIME labeled as a stark violation of legal norms. Despite objections from some Hindu and opposition leaders, Prime Minister Modi proceeded with the temple’s inauguration, aligning with the BJP’s strategy for the upcoming 2024 general election.
The temple’s inauguration is seen as a step towards reducing the diversity of Hindu religious tradition to a politically charged ideology, further marginalizing Muslims and undermining India’s democratic values. Freedom House has downgraded India’s status to “partly free,” citing increased persecution of Muslims.
Additionally, A sense of grief and anxiety among Ayodhya’s Muslim community. The network quoted Maulana Badshah Khan, expressing fears of renewed religious violence similar to the events that followed the Babri Mosque’s destruction over 30 years ago.
Michael Kugelman from the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute, writing in Foreign Policy, noted that the temple’s inauguration is part of Modi’s broader agenda tied to Hindu nationalism. This includes the revocation of Kashmir’s autonomous status and amendments to citizenship laws that favor non-Muslim refugees. Kugelman emphasized that Modi has strategically framed the Ram temple issue within a narrative of social welfare and development.