In an old-fashioned building of the Rotary Club in Palampur, nestled in the Kangra valley, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) convened its national executive meeting in 1989 and passed a resolution demanding the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
With the consecration ceremony of the temple set to be held on January 22 , the resolution will finally come to fruition after 34 years.
The event holds significance for Palampur, a small hill-town around 1,000km from Ayodhya. In what later came to be known as the Palampur resolution, the BJP had incorporated its demand for the temple during its quarterly meeting on June 11, 1989.
The then BJP president, LK Advani, led the “rath yatra” a year after the Palampur resolution, which vaulted the BJP to the centre stage. The “yatra” mobilised the public opinion for the temple in Ayodhya.
BJP veteran and former Himachal chief minister Shanta Kumar, who was the saffron party’s state head at the time, was the organiser of the working committee meeting that passed the resolution. He said that it is a proud moment for him and Palampur.
“It took more than 500 years to finally construct the temple. The efforts were underway earlier as well. However, the last and successful attempt in the 500 years history was the adoption of Palampur resolution, which finally culminated with the construction of the temple in Ayodhya,” Kumar said.
{{/usCountry}}“It took more than 500 years to finally construct the temple. The efforts were underway earlier as well. However, the last and successful attempt in the 500 years history was the adoption of Palampur resolution, which finally culminated with the construction of the temple in Ayodhya,” Kumar said.
{{/usCountry}}While addressing the media at the Rotary club in Palampur, Kumar said that the BJP started its political struggle for the “rebuilding” of temple from this room and now, Palampur’s name is connected to this historic struggle which will be remembered.
“When party intended to hold its national executive meeting in Palampur, it was a huge responsibility given to me. It was not easy at that time but made it possible. Among the prominent leaders who attended the meeting were LK Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. We were all in this room,” he said.
“I still remember when Vajpayee said how unfortunate it is that we had not been able to rebuild the temple. But finally, we have been successful,” said Shanta Kumar, adding that the resolution also helped the party to win the Himachal assembly election in 1990.
“According to available records, Mughal emperor Babar visited Ayodhya in 1528, destroyed the temple situated at the site believed to be ‘Ram-Janamsthana’, and constructed a mosque,” a pat of the Palampur resolution reads.