STATEMENT of Pandit Dinesh Rambally made at the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Central Executive Meeting held on Wednesday 7th February, 2022.
THE BIASED AND POTENTIALLY DIVISIVE REPORTING OF CERTAIN LOCAL MEDIA HOUSES OVER THE INAUGURATION OF SRI RAM JANMABHOOMI MANDIR AND PRAN PRATISHTA OF SRI RAM LALLA IN AYODHYA, INDIA
On behalf of the Secretary General Sri Vijay Maharaj, President General Pandit Krishna Rambally, Dharmacharya His Holiness Pandit Dr. Rampersad Parasram, and the wider Central Executive, I make this important public statement, which addresses the blatantly biased reports of an event which was sacred to Hindus throughout the world, including here in Trinidad and Tobago, that is, the opening of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya and the Sri Ram Lalla consecration.
While we acknowledge that this would have been a difficult part of the history of India, a history that is infamously riddled with foreign subjugation, colonialisation, invasion and bold-faced plunder of its once enormous wealth, we must acknowledge also that there is a particular triumph in the way this whole controversy was handled by the Supreme Court of India, and the willingness of the people to respect and abide with its decision. Mentioning this would have been newsworthy. Every aspect of this Temple rebuilding and the facts that preceded it were scrutinized by the Indian Courts. And since the Rule of Law prevailed one would have hoped that the local media houses would have taken time to bring balance to the issue and not simply to reduce it to an act of political expediency in the supposed broader design of ‘populist’ leader to win the next elections or to make India a religious State.
During the period 14th January to 22nd January, 2024 we at the SDMS, along with the wider Hindu Community held celebrations to synchronize with the inauguration of the Sri Ram Janma Bhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, India, along with other diaspora communities in countries across the globe, such as France, the US, Taiwan and Mauritius, UK and Australia, to name a few. Now, despite invitations being sent out by the SDMS, none of these media houses published anything regarding our local celebrations. We regret this because had they done so, they would have been hopefully able to appreciate the context of this legal and national triumph, and hopefully take that back to their desks as they write . They hopefully would have been able to appreciate the full impact and significance of the what this moment meant for Hindus both locally and throughout the world.
Perhaps they would have understood three important facts, which were considered by the Supreme Court of India which is India’s apex court. They are
1. There was incontrovertible archaeological evidence before the Supreme Court that the Babri Masjid was built on a site which previously held a temple built in honour of Shri Ram before 1528.
2. The Court considered the destruction of the Masjid to have been an ‘egregious violation of the law’ and allocated a separate 5 acre of land for the building of a mosque
3. The court granted permission for the building of a temple.
Proper journalistic standards might have forced the journalists to consider the harmonizing influence of the Supreme Court in resolving what can be complex social issues of unimaginable scale. They would have considered that the effect of the judgment as well as the ceremony itself saw a possibly unprecedented unification of all aspects of Indian life, the coming together of people from so many differing religious inclinations offering whatever they can: be it money, artistic talent inclusive of murti making, or other material contributions.
They would have seen it as a religious project with a spiritual fervour that resonated worldwide. Above all, abiding by the rule of law is a principle steeped in Sanatan Dharma.
Instead what did we get?
“Modi opens Hindu temple built on ruins on razed mosque” –
“Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday opened a controversial Hindu temple built on the ruins of a historic
mosque in the northern city of Ayodhya, in a political triumph for the populist leader who is seeking to transform the country from a secular democracy into a Hindu state.”
This was an online article of 22nd January, 2024 from one of our local media houses. Its content was published in its print daily newspapers the next day under the international news section.
Another media house published under its daily world news section, “Modi hails ‘new dawn’ – Controversial Hindu Temple opens on disputed site…”
And yet a third media house published in its daily newspapers, under the international news section, “Modi opens temple on ruins of mosque” In other words, there was a concerted effort to see this as a move towards the oppression of a particular religion, and a political ploy by Prime Minister Modi to win the next general election.
There was no consideration of the spiritual significance for every Hindu across the globe who felt elated that such a temple was being built after a harmonious resolution to an otherwise ugly struggle over the centuries. Allow me, as an Executive Member of the SDMS to share what would have been important to Hindus. Ayodhya, off course is the birthplace of Lord Sri Ram. Prabhu Sri Ram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is probably the most popular deity which we worship. We refer to him as Maryada Purushottama, an incarnation as the ideal man, who brings to life the tenets of Sanatan Dharma.
When we pray to Prabhu Sri Ram, we adore the husband and Lord of Janaki, or Goddess Sita. Even Lord Shiva himself delights in chanting the praises of Sri Ram. In fact, the full greatness of Prabhu Sri Ram is unfathomable.
The great sages Valmiki and Tulsidas codified the life and greatness of Prabhu Sri Ram in the Holy Ramayan, the holy Sri Ramcharitmanas. These Holy Texts are the life breath of saints so much so that our forefathers fought to ensure its preservation in bringing it during the indentureship process.
Our Scriptures reveal that Lord Ram himself said that there is nothing more important or closer to him than Ayodhya. It is said that when Lord Ram was exiled from Ayodhya, he took some of the soil from Ayodhya with him and wherever he went, he would worship it.
On Prabhu Sri Ram’s return to Ayodhya, it is recited in Sri Ramcharitmanas in Uttarkand as follows:-
Jadyapi saba baikuntha bakhanaa, beda puraan bidita jagu Jaanaa;
Avadhapurii sama priya Nahin souu, yaha prasamga jaanee kou kouu.
“Although all have extolled Vaikuntha (Divine abode of Lord Vishnu), which is familiar to the Vedas and the Puranas and
known throughout the world, even that is not so dear to Me as the city of Ayodhya: only some rare (enlightened) persons know this secret.
Janmabhoomi mama Purii suhaavani, Uttara disi Baha Sarajuu paavani;
Jaa majjana te binahin prayaasaa, mama Samiip Nara paavahin baasaa.
“This beautiful city is my birthplace; to the north of it flows the holy Sarayu, bathing in which men secure an abode near Me without any difficulty.
Ati priya Mohi ihaa ke baasi, mama
dhaamada puri sukha raasi;
Harashe saba Kapi suni Prabhu Baani, Dhanya avadha Jo Raam bakhaani.
“The dwellers here are very dear to me; the city is not only full of bliss itself but bestows an abode in My divine realm. The monkeys were all delighted to hear these words of the Lord and said, “Blessed indeed is Ayodhya, that has evoked praise from Sri
Ram himself!”.
Only moments ago our revered Dharmacharyaji reminded me of the Sanskrit Shloka,
Api swaran mayi Lanka, na
ame Lakshman rochate;
Janani janmabhumischa swargaad api gariyasi
There is therefore no doubt in the minds of Hindus that Ayodhya, in India, is dearer to
Lord Ram than his heavenly abode and those who are fortunate to visit or dwell there are indeed blessed.
………………………………..
In the Sri Ramcharitmanas, Baalkanda, it says:-
Jehi bidhi hoi dharma nirmulaa, so saba karahi beda pratikulaa
Jehi Jehi desa dhenu dwija paavahi, nagara gaau pura aagi lagaavahi.
“Under Rawan’s rule, there were those demons, sinful at heart who assumed various forms with their delusive power who acted in every way contrary to scriptures and did everything in their power to eradicate religion, root and branch…”(Sri Ramcharitmanas Gita Press, Gorakhpur)
We must be aware of those who may come in various forms and disguise themselves with the intent to do all in their power to destroy dharma. Verily, this was the said reason for Lord Ram’s coming upon earth. ……………………………………
So, I say all this to underscore that the media entities in question were either simply lazy and/or were quite contented to import wholesale or cut and paste from foreign news articles.
Or it may be that they were quite prepared to publish an uninformed, biased and highly divisive headline and report.
Crucially, none of the reports cared to venture into the details of the Supreme Court Judgment delivered in 2019, which would have been a mark of journalistic integrity at the very least.
Therefore, we see the nature of the reporting as meagre and insufficient and leaving enough holes in the story so that the comprehensive picture eludes the average reader and the element of newsworthy discord and intrigue is ever present, even if that came with the price of religious disaffection amongst members of different faiths.
We chose not to comment on this injustice before because we did not want to unnecessarily diminish the enthusiasm of the observances. But we deem a response necessary, even at this time, as it was not the first time that certain local media has been prepared to let the beliefs of the Hindu community be ridiculed by their inept journalism, lazy reporting and even insults.
I do not make these statements lightly. Let me cite but one example.
In the past, the SDMS has taken note of highly-uneducated rants of a reporter belonging to one media house. That media house seemed intent on diminishing the SDMS’ position and/or strong objections on certain sensitive matters by saying that we teach our children that a monkey named Hanuman literally ate the sun. The reporter who did this with enthusiastic reference to Puranic lore is plainly wrong – Hanuman does not eat the sun. In any event puranic lore is highly allegorical. In it are encrypted sacred and universal truths for all humanity. So whether you are a journalist with an interest in comedy or a comedian with an interest in journalism (the distinction seems unclear), it gives you no right to belittle the sacred tenets of our Hindu people and culture, and especially so in a
land upon which stands the tallest Hanuman murti in the western hemisphere. Lord Hanuman is the chief servant of Lord Ram.
Let me therefore sound a caution, if I may use that word, to the media houses who chose to belittle the significant aspects of our Hindu faith.
If media houses continue to intentionally and/or recklessly attack and/or insult and/or belittle members of the Hindu faith, the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha will not hesitate to call on our membership to boycott those media houses.
One of these media houses which I am sure will recognize itself, is on strike two.
The SDMS considers it a sacred duty to defend the integrity of the Hindu faith and Hindus in Trinidad and Tobago. We will not falter in our obligations so to do.
Dinesh Rambally
Executive Member of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha