Makarand R Paranjape
The rebuilding of the Ram temple is the triumph of resacralisation
The Ramayan’s success was remarkable, and the public response was far greater than anyone anticipated
Rama’s memory lives on because of his extraordinary life and persona
Justice has been meted out for a historical wrong. Hindus waited for this moment for five centuries and have taken it with dignified restraint. A majority of Muslims too have understood that they were misled by vested interests and it was wrong to destroy and appropriate the places of worship of others
The abiding attraction of the Ramayana to Indian society, and to the Indian mind, lies in the innumerable idealised social relations that abound in the epic. Its importance as a template for social bonds is what is often missed in the textual discussions that preoccupy scholars
The dynamism and creativity of a people who see Ram as their own prince, friend, son or brother will prevail
It’s a tragedy of our times that it took the highest court of India to bring peace between India’s present and its cultural past