The Congress Role in Ram Mandir Movement: 1949 to 1980s, How the Party Failed to Speak in One Voice

The Ram Janmabhoomi movement has been a contentious issue in Indian politics for decades. One of the major parties involved in the movement was the Congress, which failed to speak in one voice on the matter. In this article, we will explore the Congress’s role in the movement from 1949 to the 1980s.

Attention:
The Ram Janmabhoomi movement is one of the most contentious issues in Indian politics. The Congress’s role in the movement has been a subject of much debate. In this article, we will explore the Congress’s role in the movement from 1949 to the 1980s.

Interest:
The Congress’s role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement has been a subject of much debate. The party failed to speak in one voice on the matter, which led to confusion. In this article, we will explore the Congress’s role in the movement from 1949 to the 1980s and how the party’s inability to speak in one voice affected the movement.

Desire:
By exploring the Congress’s role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, we will gain a better understanding of the party’s stance on the matter and how it affected the movement. This will help us understand the complexities of the issue and the challenges faced by the parties involved.

Action:
Let’s dive into the Congress’s role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

The Ram Janmabhoomi movement began in the late 1980s, but its roots go back to 1949 when a Ram Lalla idol was surreptitiously placed inside the Babri Masjid. At that time, the Congress was unable to speak in one voice on the matter. While Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru pressured the state government to remove the idol, Congress MLA Baba Raghav Das threatened to resign from the party if the idol was removed.

Decades later, Congress leader Dau Dayal Khanna took the initiative that led to the revival of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. Khanna was the first politician to write to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in May 1983, demanding the restoration of Ayodhya, Kashi, and Mathura to Hindus.

Union Minister Kamlapati Tripathi cautioned Khanna that he was playing with gunpowder and destroying the Congress policy of Hindu-Muslim unity. However, Khanna wasn’t alone in his efforts. Veteran Congressman and former interim Prime Minister Gulzarilal Nanda founded the Shri Ram Janmotsav Samiti on Ram Navami in 1983. RSS leaders also attended the feast he held on that occasion.

In Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure as prime minister, following the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984, the Congress government gave conflicting signals on the matter. Rajiv got the locks of the Babri Masjid opened just after a Faizabad court ordered it, to reach out to Hindus. His government then banned Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses, making India the first country to ban the book.

It was only in 1989 that the BJP officially supported the Ram Janmabhoomi movement through the Palampur resolution. Rajiv Gandhi responded by allowing the VHP to hold a foundation ceremony (shilanyas) for the Ram Temple. However, the Congress’s pandering to the Ram Temple sentiment had limits because of its Muslim vote bank in north India since independence.

In conclusion, the Congress’s role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement was complicated. The party failed to speak in one voice, which led to confusion and a lack of clarity on the party’s stance on the matter. Nevertheless, some Congress leaders did take the initiative that led to the revival of the movement.