Centre’s Ramayana museum plan at Ayodhya sparks pre-poll storm

AYODHYA/NEW DELHI: Legalities may have rendered the fate of Ram temple in Ayodhya uncertain but the subject is once again heating up the discourse in Uttar Pradesh politics. The ruling BJP is poised to develop a massive international museum and research centre dedicated to Lord Rama and events from the Ramayana, about 15km from the disputed Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi site.
With Union tourism minister Mahesh Sharma set to visit the site of the proposed Ramayana museum near Ayodhya on Tuesday, a political row has begun to brew. Opposition parties accused BJP on Monday of setting the project in motion just a few months before the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls solely for political gains.
Twenty-five acres of land has been identified by the Union tourism ministry in the Paanch Kosi periphery of Ayodhya. BSP chief Mayawati and even Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ashok Bajpayee, whose party itself had cleared a proposal for a Ramleela theme park in the area, accused BJP of announcing the project purely for political gain in the forthcoming UP polls.
“Any such project should have started much before if they had the right intentions,” Mayawati said, adding that the announcements were driven by BJP and SP’s “religion-based politics”. She said the proposed projects must not be allowed to affect the disputed site in Ayodhya as the issue was pending before the high court.
The SP spokesperson said such announcements were a habit with BJP. “Why is it that BJP makes such announcements only before elections,” Bajpayee asked, adding that the saffron brigade should know the people of UP can no longer be taken for a ride.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari slammed the Centre. “Whenever elections are near, BJP rakes up the Ram Mandir issue,” Tewari said. “BJP is a party that has the least devotion towards Ram. They remember Lord Ram only when elections are scheduled to take place anywhere across the country and remember ‘shilas’ only when they have to collect money.” “On a uniform civil code, the way BJP is talking, it doesn’t appear they are serious about it,” Tewari said, adding that BJP put Article 370 on backburner after allying with PDP.
Senior Congress member RPN Singh said the development came as no surprise. “Every five years we see the same drama unfolding. Whenever there are polls in the state, they talk of Ram, Ram temple, Ram Sangrahalaya. They repeatedly raise these issues,” RPN Singh said.
The tourism minister, meanwhile, defended the move. “The government of India, ministry of tourism, declared a program of spiritual circuits and theme-based circuits a year ago. The Ramayana circuit was one, other than the Krishna and Buddha circuits. It has got nothing to do with the elections. It’s a continuing process which was started about a year back,” Sharma said.
Sharma said officials from his ministry had visited the place near Ayodhya two months ago and that he was going there to finalise matters keeping in view all aspects. “We are exploring a suitable place for the Ramayana Museum. Ayodhya should be the ideal site as Bhagwan Ram was born here and the place is revered by millions,” said the minister, who seemed to want to accelerate the process well in advance of the assembly poll notification being issued.
Union minister Uma Bharti asked BJP’s opponents to refrain from political overtures. “Ram is a subject of faith for millions… Opposition should be equally respectful to the revered deity,” she said.
“Since BJP has announced it will not use the Ram temple issue in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the Ram and Ramayana museum will reaffirm the saffron leanings of the Modi government,” said Anil Singh, a political analyst.
Faizabad MP and senior BJP member Lallu Singh said the site had not yet been finalised but the process was on and the role of the state government would be crucial. “The museum should be located in Ayodhya and not far from the town… I will not let it happen as pilgrims might not want to travel too far,” Singh told TOI. He urged the state government to assist in zeroing in on the land as the proposed project has tourism potential as well.
The Centre had last year earmarked Rs 225 crore for the proposed Ramayana museum, which will have ghats and a communications and convention centre. Sharma will hold a meeting with the Ramayana Circuit Advisory Board during his visit to Ayodhya where they will discuss routes to connect Ramayana-related sites in Nepal, Sri Lanka and several places in India with the proposed museum.