Had Ram been the prime minister of India, do you think he would have created an obstacle for building the new Ram Setu Bridge?
Swami Agnivesh
The idea of Ram has completely changed in India. Ram was a historical figure; a great king and a legendary individual. Later, his followers, made him into a God. Today, Ram is being used by politicians.
I have just one question for all those who are standing up as Ram supporters. Had Ram been the prime minister of India, do you think he would have created an obstacle for building the new Ram Setu Bridge? He would have supported it, for economic and social progress comes first.
All those people who are using Ram’s name today for their benefit don’t even follow his ideology. They worship his picture, but not his values. In India, we celebrate Dasara by burning Ravan’s idol and say that it is Ram’s victory over Ravan and good beating the evil.
But in today’s times those politicians who use the name of Ram are the actual Ravans. The legacy of Ram is to fight justice, and none of these so-called supporters of Ram are doing that. They just want to use his Ram and gain people’s support.
I would not say that Ram was the ideal man. He was a great man, but like all other humans he also had his weaknesses. Many aspects of his personality are questionable like the agnipariksha he asked of Sita.
Ram has always been perceived differently by different people. Valmiki’s Ram was different from Tulsidas’s Ram. Ram has changed with culture and through periods. For instance, Ram in India is different from Ram in Thailand and Ram in Indonesia.
The idea of Ram has definitely changed over the years, from originally being a great ruler king, to a God, to now a name which is being used by people for their own propaganda.
The common man and the gullible masses are being taken for a ride by these politicians who are using the name of Ram for their political gains. It is high time people realise this and stop getting fooled by the politicians.
Swami Agnivesh is a social activist. He spoke to Ameya Bhise.
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