Ram for all, says Dalit couple set to participate in temple consecration with PM

A kar sevak who participated in the movement to demolish the Babri Masjid in 1992, Vithal and his wife received a phone call and an attractive invitation card on January 3 informing them of their selection

Panvel: Vithal Kamble, 53, and his wife Ujjwala, 46, are both overjoyed while with their two sons and daughter-in-law can’t stop rejoicing. The reason – the elderly Dalit couple from Kharghar is among 11 couples who will accompany prime minister Narendra Modi for consecration rituals at the ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

Ram for all, says Dalit couple set to participate in temple consecration with PM

“We have been working tirelessly since November for the grand ceremony in Ayodhya but didn’t know that a programme of this sort was being organised,” said Vithal, principal of a primary school in Mumbai’s Chembur neighbourhood and a prominent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader in the Konkan region who joined the saffron outfit in 1985-86.

A kar sevak who participated in the movement to demolish the Babri Masjid in 1992, Vithal and his wife received a phone call and an attractive invitation card on January 3 informing them of their selection.

“I couldn’t believe it when I first learnt of the invite – I went speechless and had tears in my eyes, thinking I will actually be sitting at the feet of Ram Lalla and perform pran pratishtha,” said Vithal, who credited his “good fortune” to “something I must have done in my previous birth” and “blessings of my parents”.

Ujjwala, the Mumbai president of Vishwa Mangal Sabha, a social organisation, also started crying when she first learnt of the invitation. “My sons couldn’t understand what had happened and I was in no state to explain immediately,” she recalled.

“Getting to perform the first puja at the Ram temple in over 500 years can only be due to the blessings of my parents and in-laws. I must have done some good deeds in my last birth to get this opportunity,” she said, echoing her husband.

The Kadams believe that their caste has nothing to do with the invitation. “A total of 11 couples have been invited. Though the figure might increase by one or two, not all are Dalits. The opportunity has come our way not because we are Dalit but because we are a section of society – it is Lord Ram’s blessing,” said Vithal, adding that a woman waste collector from Uttar Pradesh who had donated ₹20 for the construction of the temple had also been invited as a special guest. “Only the Nyas knows if there is a criteria,” he said.

The invitation, said Vithal, proved that Lord Ram was in their life too. “We had heard stories about Shabri, who waited for Lord Ram even though she had never met or seen him. Her life got meaning after she eventually met him. We are experiencing the same happiness,” he said, filled with gratitude for being called on such a “huge platform”.

“My caste, profession, wealth – nothing was asked. So many wealthy people and renowned artistes are going to be there, while I am just a simple teacher. This proves that Ram is not for any caste or region but for the entire world,” he said.

Giving details of his planned pilgrimage to Ayodhya, he said, “Excellent arrangements have been made by the Nyas for the 8,000 special guests who have been invited for the consecration. Each one has been designated a seat number, and details about what will happen at the garbhagriha and who will sit where during the yagna have been specified.”

Accommodation and food would be provided to all participants for two days, he said, adding, “In fact, we will also be picked from the airport or railway station and dropped back there. We will be staying at the RSS office in Ayodhya and get an entry in the garbhagriha on January 22 at 10.15am.”

Vehicles would not be allowed within a 1-km radius of the temple and everyone will have to walk the distance, he noted. “No personal assistants or secretaries can accompany the guests, including eminent personalities. No mobile phones will be allowed either,” he said.

On the preparations for the trip, he said, “Since there is a cold wave in UP, we have been asked to carry warm clothes. We have also been asked to dress as per our culture – hence, I will wear a dhoti and cap while my wife will wear a Paithani saree to represent Maharashtra.”

Reminiscing about the demolition of the Babri Masjid that paved the way for the construction of the temple, Vithal said, “In 1992, when the Babri structure was demolished, I was in the movement. I witnessed the jubilation over the freeing of Ram Lalla amongst our people. Though Ram Lalla was going to be in a tent, over 500 years of struggle was over.”

Once the mosque was demolished, a stream of positive energy swept through the society, he claimed. “Our confidence grew, and we began to become independent in a different way. It is not about a party or politics – the community itself has changed. There is no injustice on anyone, Ram is for all,” he said.

Dismissing suggestions that ‘Jai Shri Ram’ had become a communal slogan, he said, “During the new year celebrations, modern educated wealthy youth danced to ‘Bharat ka bachcha Bachcha Jai Shri Ram bolega’. You can hear it in trains and even some Muslims are chanting it. Political parties may have their vested agenda, but Ram is in all.”

Regarding what he would bring back from Ayodhya, Vithal said, “All our relatives and friends are saying that we will be representing them at Ayodhya. I will bring back Ram Lalla’s blessings in the form of the holy soil of Ayodhya, which has been purified. There can be no better prasad.”