Lucknow/Ayodhya: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hoisted the saffron ‘Dharma Dhwaj’ at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, marking the completion of the temple’s construction. In his address, he reached out to marginalised communities and linked his message to the ideas of ‘Ram Rajya’ and ‘Viksit Bharat’.
While addressing the event, PM Modi said the flag represents the presence of Brahma and stands for truth and Dharma. It symbolises the victory of truth, he added.
PM Modi said, “This Dharma Dhwaja is more than just a flag. It represents the resurgence of Indian civilisation. Its saffron hue, the Suryavansh emblem, the sacred word ‘Om,’ and the Kovidara tree together reflect the grandeur of Ram Rajya. This flag embodies a pledge, an achievement, and a journey from struggle to creation, a tangible symbol of centuries of perseverance.”
”Today, the whole of India and even the world is filled with the spirit of Ram. Every Ram devotee feels a deep sense of satisfaction and gratitude. There is a sense of divine joy. The wounds and pain carried for centuries are finally healing. A centuries old resolve is being fulfilled. Today marks the completion of a sacrifice whose flame burned for 500 years,” the Prime Minister said during his address.
PM Modi gave a call to free India from the “mentality of slavery” over the next 10 years. He said that even after Independence, the colonial mindset continued and people started believing that foreign ideas were superior. “It was said that our Constitution was inspired by foreign constitutions, but the truth is that India is the mother of democracy. Democracy is in our DNA,” he said.
Messaging from the event
The PM’s speech contained clear political messaging, especially for the marginalised. Twice the PM mentioned the Rishi temple, which is inside the Ram temple and houses shrines of Nishadraj, who helped Lord Ram cross the Ganges during exile, and Mata Shabri, the tribal ascetic who offered berries to Ram, among others.
Some observers say placing shrines of Nishadraj and Shabri alongside shrines of Brahmin sages sends a strong message of social inclusion. They believe it also fits the BJP’s strategy of bringing different castes together under the larger Hindutva umbrella, something that has helped the party politically in the past. The Nishad Party, which represents the boatmen and fishermen community, is a BJP ally in Uttar Pradesh. Similarly, a shrine for Shabri could strengthen the BJP’s support among tribal communities.
Three members of the Dom community from Varanasi were also invited to the flag-hoisting ceremony. They are relatives of the late Dom Raja Jagdish Chaudhary, who had suggested Narendra Modi’s name as a candidate in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The Dom community carries out cremation rituals and provides the ‘sacred fire’ that is believed to help departed souls find peace, an important role in Hindu tradition, though it often doesn’t receive much recognition. This was the first time Dom community members were invited in any such event.
PM’s call to break free of slavery mindset
“We must learn from Lord Ram, understand his character and follow his ideals,” the PM said at the Ram Mandir Dhwajarohan ceremony, which marked the architectural completion of the temple.
PM Modi highlighted that India must strive to shed the “slave mentality,” which he linked to the Macaulay education system introduced in 1835. PM Modi said the nation should aim to break free from this legacy by 2035, stating, “Macaulay laid the foundation for a mindset of servitude in India… Over the next 10 years, we must work with the resolve to free the country from this mentality of slavery.”
Emphasising long-term planning, PM Modi said India must think beyond the present. “In 2047, when India completes 100 years of independence, we must build a Viksit Bharat. We must strengthen the country’s foundation for the next thousand years,” he said.
He warned against short-term thinking. “If we focus only on today, we do injustice to future generations. India existed before us and will continue after us,” he said, adding that India is a “vibrant society” that needs to act with vision and think about the coming decades and centuries.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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