Who addresses letters to the authorities in blood? Farmers who were protesting the three farm laws of the Centre at the Singhu border in December 2020 did so as part of a series of valiant acts of resistance that also included fighting police lathis and camped out in the freezing weather. The shopkeepers of Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, are the most recent group to dip their pens in blood. u2019 They have written letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath in an effort to stop the proposed Banke Bihari Mandir Corridor, pointing out that the planned demolition of 300 shops and homes would result in both a loss of their way of life and the historical significance of the old city.
The Banke Bihari corridor is a component of the Center’s plan to transform revered Hindu holy places into opulent tourism hotspots. The first corridor was the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, next came the Ujjain Mahakal Mandir route. In FdipAyodhya, work is now being done on the Ram Path. Bulldozers destroy buildings that have adorned this historic city for more than a century every day.
When the Babri masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi debate was at its height, inhabitants of Ayodhya would point out that there was no single temple that could be referred to as the specific location of Ram’s birth and that the multiple temples discovered there were all related to the well-known deity. Even a Janmasthan Sita ki Rasoi (Sita’s Kitchen, birthplace) existed. The enormous Ram temple was built on the site of the Babri masjid, taking the place of the 250-year-old temple, which was mentioned in every travel advisory for Ayodhya.
As the birthplaces of well-known gods and/or the locations where they lived for a while, these cities are revered in their totality. The streets of Vrindavan are referred to as Krishna’s residence. When the Kashi Vishwanath corridor was being created, inhabitants of Benares who were outraged about the destruction of old buildings that included miniature temples, Shiva lings, and architectural features with mythological significance recalled the old proverb Kashi ke kan kan mein Shiv (Shiv resides in every particle in Banares).
Image Courtesy: Hindustan Times
However, neither the Kashi Vishwanath corridor nor any of the other corridors being constructed value playfulness or disobedience. For them, the words that the descriptions evoked with conquest included grandeur, splendour, amazement, glory, pride, and flags flying high. Indeed, Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah’s addresses to these historic temples raised confidence among Hindus by reminding them of past humiliation. Not only is tourism being promoted through these corridors, but also Hindu victory.
Ironically, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intends to use these corridors to get revenge on the mediaeval invaders by destroying the spiritual legacy of Hindus in a manner that is similar to this victory. Even the Mughals, according to a priest in Vrindavan, did not treat Thakurji (Lord Krishna) as poorly as the BJP government was. These corridors highlight two crucial issues: can accommodating tens of thousands of tourists while allowing for easy access for automobiles serve as the primary criteria for upgrading ancient holy sites? Is it possible to clean up the urban squalor that is frequently present in the small streets leading to these temples without losing their distinctive historical character? How can carved frontages that showcase the talent of our historical artisans be prioritised over food courts, selfie spots, parking decks, and malls? What about the aspirations of those who have contributed to these cities and lived among these temples for decades, whose lives would be altered by the transformation of the latter?
All of these questions were recently answered by the Jains, whose widespread protest against the Center’s decision to reverse its decision to turn their pilgrimage site in Jharkhand into a tourist attraction into effect. For the cause, two Jain monks devoted their life. But the Jains are unique: A small minority which can easily be organised behind a cause that touches their faith, also one that has always enjoyed tremendous influence with all governments. The same cannot be said about Hindus, despite all the attempts to unite them under the Hindutva banner.
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