Finally, a senior-most person associated with the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Nripendra Mishra, has addressed the theft and called it a kalank—a disgraceful blot. But those directly responsible for overseeing the temple administration are still in denial. The attitude of the Sangh Parivar leaders, in full control of the Ram Temple Trust, is a case in point. After keeping mum for a month, they spoke as though they bore no responsibility. RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale condemned the matter but in the same breath said “anti-Hindu and anti-national forces” were “seeking to malign the Hindu religion and society by exploiting this unfortunate incident”.
Mishra, the temple construction committee’s chairperson, contradicted the stance taken by the Sangh leadership. But Mishra’s view is largely shared by the public.The Sangh leadership appears more concerned with shielding its men from blame. Compounding failure with stubborn denial may prove a huge mistake.
They fail to ponder the obvious—Hindus from all over the country visit Ayodhya every day. News of the conduct and incompetence of RSS functionaries associated with the Temple Trust will reach every Hindu household across India and abroad.Their incompetence is multi-layered. First, that such an ugly theft could take place under their watch. It indicates that they are incompetent to not just run a temple but, more importantly, to govern. The Sangh highlights Rai’s personal honesty, but that cannot compensate for incompetence. In governance, ensuring the security of society, justice, and order is far more important than personal honesty.The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was formed by the Union government following the Supreme Court’s 2019 Ayodhya verdict. Thus, the scam directly reflects on it, too.In private conversations, Sangh folks have concluded that the Ram Temple theft affair may fade in time. But this stain will weigh heavily upon them. It is only the latest in a long series of failures, counterproductive actions, strange statements, shifting policies, and the steady decline in India’s prestige.The Sangh Parivar has long described “character building” as a foundational goal. But after assuming power, its conduct has appeared quite different.The Government of India argued before the Supreme Court in 2019 that voters do not need to know where political parties get their funds.The Temple Trust could have offered an equally elegant argument: “Why should anyone need to know where the donated money is going?” It would have been in line with the former.After all, both arenas are run by top RSS-trained men. Consequently, their judgement, philosophy, and outlook are the same, especially with regard to responsibility and transparency.With such a cavalier mindset, the Ram Temple mishap should not appear exceptional.
