Modi Reenacting Somnath History at Ayodhya

January 22, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Ram Mandir temple in Ayodhya on January 22nd, 2024. This echoes a similar grand inauguration ceremony 73 years ago in 1950 when President Rajendra Prasad inaugurated the Somnath temple. However, India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had opposed the government and President directly participating in the Somnath ceremony. Nehru expressed reservations about the secular government associating with a religious event.

Centuries of Attacks and Rebuilding

The Somnath temple in Gujarat is an important Hindu pilgrimage site as the home of the first Jyotirlinga shrine to Shiva and Krishna’s last steps. Its history carries much symbolic weight for Hinduism.

Over the centuries, Somnath was damaged or destroyed several times by Muslim invaders, most notably by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026. Some Muslim rulers later restored Hindu access like Akbar in the 1500s, but Aurangzeb ordered its demolition in 1706 shortly before his death.

British Claims as Hindu Insult

The British under Governor General Ellenborough dramatically claimed returning Somnath’s gates from Afghanistan avenged an 800-year Islamic insult against Hindus in 1842, stirring Hindu nationalist passions, though the gates had no connection to Somnath.

Independence Movement and Reconstruction

After independence, Sardar Patel prioritized Somnath’s reconstruction as important for Hindu sentiment and pride, backed by Hindu nationalists like K.M. Munshi. This mirrored colonial era claims of Muslim excess and Hindu victimhood. Based on Gandhi’s guidance, a trust collected funds for the rebuilding from the Hindu public.

Nehru’s Concerns over Secularism

Prime Minister Nehru strongly opposed President Prasad associating with Somnath’s inauguration in 1951, arguing the secular government should avoid direct participation in religious activities, amidst criticism this supported Hindu revivalism.

Echoes in Ayodhya 2023

The parallels to Modi preparing to inaugurate a newly rebuilt Ram Mandir at Ayodhya in 2023 based on overwhelming Hindu support and donations are clear. While not legally government-backed, Modi’s high visibility signals a shift from Nehru’s secular stance.

Similar Claims of Rectifying Injustice

Proponents similarly frame both Ayodhya and Somnath as rectifying historical Muslim crimes against Hindus through rebuilding campaigns. However, critics allege exploiting religious grievances for political ends threatens India’s secular foundations and risks further dividing communities.

Lasting Questions over Religion and State

Even after over 70 years, the opposing Nehru vs Patel views on state association with symbolic Hindu sites continue to define debates on secularism in modern India. As with Somnath earlier, important questions around these themes have resurfaced with renewed intensity in the context of Ayodhya.

Broader Hindu Nationalist Agenda

While Ayodhya holds deep religious importance for many Hindus on its own merits, political analysts also situate the Ram temple as part of a wider Hindu nationalist effort for India to publicly reclaim an identity rooted in only Hindu historical narratives, often at the cost of pluralism and minority inclusion.

Unresolved Legal Disputes

As in Somnath’s aftermath earlier, the Ayodhya site’s redevelopment remains legally disputed. Lower court battles related to the 1992 mosque demolition spearheaded by BJP and Hindu right wing leaders accused of inciting religious hatred continue. Though the Supreme Court has ruled on the property, this violent history and contributing forces remain controversial.

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