Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said Lord Ram was not a symbol of dispute, but the solution itself, and urged a rethink among those who fear that the construction of the temple in Ayodhya will lead to unrest. “Today, I call upon those people (who fear unrest) to feel it, to rethink. Ram is not fire; Ram is energy. Ram is not a dispute; Ram is the solution. Ram is not only ours; Ram is for everyone. Ram is not just the present; Ram is eternal,” he said in his address after the Pran Pratishtha.
The Prime Minister went on to add, “Kaal chakra badal raha hai (the cycle of time is changing),” and that India’s moment had arrived. “The generations a thousand years from now will remember our nation-building efforts of today. That’s why I say, yahi samay hai, sahi samay hai (Now is the time, the right time). We have to lay the foundation for India of the next thousand years, starting from this sacred time,” Modi said. According to him, inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya marks the end of a centuries-long wait as well as the beginning of a new era, and breaks the shackles of a “slave mentality.”
Addressing an impressive gathering, from saints and seers to actors and captains of industry, Modi said the country is moving ahead with the philosophy of “Dev se desh, Ram se rashtra (From God to country, Ram to nation).” The PM also expressed his gratitude to the judiciary for its verdict on the issue, and to the people who sacrificed for the cause over several years. “A nation is drawing courage from every affliction of the past, creating a new history in this manner.
A thousand years from today, people will talk about this date, this moment,” he said. Modi began his speech with the declaration that Ram will no longer live in a tent, but in adivine temple. He also referred to the dedication of Mata Shabri — a tribal who tasted berries for sweetness before feeding Ram, during his exile in the forest — and Kevat, king of nishad (boatmen) who rowed Ram, Sita and Lakshman across the Ganga. Assuring critics that there is no cause for concern over the Ram temple, the PM said, “These people failed to understand the purity of India and its social sentiments.
The construction of this temple of Ram Lalla is also a symbol of peace, patience, harmony and coordination in Indian society.” He maintained that this is not just a moment of celebration, but also one that shows the maturity of Indian society and its humility. “The history of the world is a witness that many nations get entangled in their own history. Whenever such countries have tried to unravel the tangled knots of their history, they have faced great difficulties,” said Modi, reflecting on the maturity with which India is handling the process.
“The way our country has untangled this knot of history with seriousness and sensitivity, it indicates that our future is going to be much more beautiful than our past.” The PM cited recent missions to the moon and the sun, the making of Tejas aircraft and the Vikrant aircraft carrier as achievements pointing to India’s path ahead. “India is now moving forward. We have reached here after centuries of waiting. We all have been waiting for this era. Now, we will not stop. We will reach the heights of development,” said Modi.
By Vatsala Gaur & Rakesh Mohan Chaturvedi
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/epaper/delhicapital/2024/jan/23/et-front/ram-is-not-dispute-ram-is-the-solution/articleshow/107063221.cms
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