Chicago – January 21, 2023
On Monday, Modi will officially inaugurate the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, an extravagant temple built on the same site that observers describe as a monument to Hindu nationalist ambitions.
More than 7,000 people have been invited to Ayodhya for the ceremony, including high-profile politicians who will fly in from all over the country. Thousands of devout Hindus flock to the little town to leave flowers and presents inside the temple.
Muslim residents in Ayodhya are concerned about the growing crowds.
Many of the town’s 500,000 Muslims are concerned about another outbreak of the religious bloodshed that occurred more than 30 years ago when Hindu nationalists demolished the Babri Masjid. This 16th-century mosque sparked riots across the country.
Indian Muslims think the event is a clear indication of how Muslims are being marginalised under Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Many Muslims expected the matter to be resolved in 2019 when the Supreme Court awarded Hindus permission to build the temple on the contested site. Instead, emboldened Hindus began targeting other mosques across the country, campaigning to demolish them as well.
Source – CNN
