How Yogi became a Ram temple warrior
LUCKNOW: The events of 1992 left an indelible impression on Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath who had just graduated from college atthe time. Even today, he closely identifies with the movement to build a Ram temple in Ayodh ya.
Adityanath graduated with a BSc degree from Hem wat iN and an Ba hug una Garhwal University in the summer of 1992, the year thousands ofkarsevaks or supporters of the Vi sh va Hindu Paris had (VHP) razed the Babri Masjid, which many Hindus believe was built on top of the birthplace of god Ram. The destruction unleashed some of the deadliest religious riots since Independence, killing more than 1,000 people.
It was during that turbulent period that Adityanath visited Gorakhnath Mutt, an influential shrine headed by chief priest Mahant Avaidyanath, who went onto become the young man’ s mentor, guru and adopted father.
“Ma hantji organised a march from Sitam ar hi in Bi h ar to Ayodh ya for the Ram temple. He asked people to vote for that party or leader who supported construction of the temple ,” said Ram Kumar Tiwari, a schoolteacher in Gorakhpur.
The M ah ant called meetings of the Sri Ram Jan ma bhoo mi Mu ktiY ag ya Sam i ti, an organisation he headed. Leaders of the VHP, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Mahasabha and sadhus were invited. It was Adityanath’s job to organise these meetings.
Impressed, the Ma han tap pointed A dity nat has his successor in 1996. Two years later, the Mahant announced that the Go rak hp ur parliamentary seat, which he had represented for four terms, would now be con tested by A di ty ana th. Adityana th went onto win these at for five terms. Through this period, he kept the temple cause alive, organising a Virat Hindu Ma has am mel an( in 2006), and similar gatherings. Representatives of 970 Hindu organisations and 10,000 sadhus were invited to these meetings, said Ka mal na th, aprie stat Go rakh na th Mutt.
The meetings were aimed at mobilising Hindus. Adi ty ana th also spoke about Ram temple in Parliament. He revived the defunct Hindu Ma has ab ha in eastern UP and launched the HinduYu va Va hi ni to galvanise young people to the movement. The saffron-clad, priest-politician established himself as a firebrand Hindu leader. He championed for the temple, a uniform civil code, and a blanket ban on cow slaughter.
In March, he was his party’s surprise choice to head the B JP-led government in UP. In May, he became the first UP chief minister to visit Ayodhya in 15 years. He has visited the town four times since, offering prayers at the makeshift temple of Ram Lalla (Lord Ram as an infant) at the disputed 2.7- acre site; declared Ayod hy a a municipal corporation; and organised a grand Diwali festival.
The state’s BJP government also announced plans to build a 100-feet-tall statue of Ram on the Saryu riverbank.
Adityanath said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on December 1 that while everyone should waitfor the court’s verdict on the Ayodhya dispute, he would like to see things settled through consensus, and, indeed, wouldbe happy to help if all parties involved in the dispute “reach a consensus”.
It would be interesting if that were to happen. When public support for the Ram temple was waning in 1997-98, the M ah ant had told a gathering of sad hus :“My disciple will give impetus to the movement and fulfil my dream”.