Ram Mandir Reportage in Canada Raises Serious Questions on Media Integrity
On 22nd January 2024, India witnessed a cultural renaissance and reclamation of indigenous rights as the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya finally materialized, marking the culmination of a relentless struggle spanning approximately 500 years. This monumental achievement came to fruition after enduring a protracted seven-decade legal battle, followed by an additional four-year wait until the temple stood ready to embrace its destiny.
The genesis of this struggle traces back to 1529 CE when Mir Baqi, a general in Babur’s (the first Mughal invader) army, built the mosque, Masjid-e-Janmasthan (Janmasthan = birthplace), after destroying the temple. The indomitable spirit of the Hindu community, particularly in Ayodhya, undertook the solemn responsibility of preserving the memories of this historical injustice across generations. Fast forward to 300 years later, in 1858 CE, a group of 25 Nihang Sikhs (so much for Sikhs are different than Hindus!) placed and performed havan. After independence, the legal battle started with a case filed in 1950 by Gopal Simla Viharad and Paramhansa Ramachandra Das and another by Nirmohi Akhara in 1959, culminating in the 2019 Supreme Court judgement. The meticulous surveys and excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India conclusively established the existence of the temple predating the mosque.
So, after almost 70 years of legal battle, examining all the evidence and also considering the religious significance of this particular site for Hindus (like Mecca for Muslims or Jerusalem for Jews), the Supreme Court of India allocated the site to the Hindu community. Nevertheless, this was accompanied by the allocation of a separate, larger site (5 acres vs 2.7 acres for the temple) for a mosque, illustrating the delicate balance in acknowledging divergent religious sentiments. The tumultuous and unfortunate period of violence in the 80s and 90s saw casualties on both sides over the issue — be it the firing on the Ram devotees by the UP government in 1990 or the riots in 1992 and 1993 in many parts of India. That period could have been averted if not for the divisive interventions by Marxists, especially the communist historians in India who instigated the Muslim community against a peaceful negotiation over the issue.
The existence of the temple today, coupled with the absence of large-scale unrest predicted by skeptics, stands as a testament to the possibility of Truth and Reconciliation. The peace that ensued after the 2019 judgment and the recent temple inauguration suggests that the broader public has come to terms with the truth and embraced reconciliation. The denial of truth for many decades posed a significant obstacle to reconciliation, and while accepting the truth is a necessary step, true reconciliation demands a higher level of maturity.
Canadian Media’s Reaction
Regrettably, but not unexpectedly, the Canadian media failed to demonstrate this maturity when reporting this historic event. The reportage by the Toronto Star, CBC, CTV and Global News reeked of half-information, misinformation, conjectures and further stereotypes about the Hindu population, perpetuating an inaccurate image of the community in Canada.
Every single media house, for some reason, omitted the Ramjanmabhoomi’s history before 1992. No mention was made that the court case, for which the judgement was announced in 2019, was originally filed in 1950. The police brutality of 1990 that resulted in dozens of Hindus killed just for being devotees of Ram also did not find any mention. However, the demolition of 1992, which did not result in any deaths, was mentioned in every single piece (which can only be more accurate described as a “hit-job”). The omission of the history before 1992 and the use of the words “The dispute ended in 2019” gave anybody, who is not aware of the movement’s history, a highly simplistic impression that the dispute started with demolition in 1992, and 27 years later, the site was awarded to Hindus.
For some reason, the Toronto Star led the toxic propaganda. The article dog whistled words like “from a secular democracy into an avowedly Hindu nation.” “Hindu supremacy,” “Hindu Vatican,” and targeting Hindus with phrases like “resonate deeply with Hindu voters.” The Toronto Star ignored that the multicultural fabric of India, the birthplace of three major world religions and countless sects, has been a trademark and the only “supremacy”, if one must use that word, is insisting on mutual respect (not a condescending “tolerance” as touted by Western democracies) and reciprocity.
The article wrote, “Mughal Muslims built Babri Mosque in the 16th century on top of temple ruins”, trying to give the impression that the temple was already in ruins. Anybody who knows the history of the movement and geography of Ayodhya will find it ridiculous to believe that a Hindu temple of the most revered deity of the Indian subcontinent, at his birthplace (of all the places), in the heart of the city as populated as Ayodhya, was in “ruins.” And that for this temple, which was in “ruins,” there was a 500-year-old struggle. C’mon, Toronto Star, try this meme somewhere else.
However, the height of propaganda was reached when the Toronto Star article outrightly lied, writing, “Muslim groups waged a decades-long court battle for the restoration of Babri Mosque.” a complete 180-degree flip on the fact that the 2019 Supreme Court judgement came in relation to the original case filed in 1950 by Hindus. Such propaganda is reminiscent of what the Marxist historians and the leftist news media in India at that time propagated, which inflamed tensions and kept one community perpetually in “victim” mode.
The hit-job also called saffron-coloured flags “a symbol of Hindu nationalism,” trying to paint any Hindu in Canada using a saffron-coloured flag — a symbol of Hindu faith used by individuals, Hindu temples, Hindu organizations and across Hindu festivals — as “Hindu nationalist.” This is reminiscent of the similar baseless conflation made by the academics at the UQAM during the Hindu Heritage Month celebration in 2022, when they wrote a letter to Justin Trudeau, calling the Hindu flag the RSS flag and raising a dog whistle to demonize the Hindu community.
What Message This Sends to First Nations, Inuit and Metis
The Canadian media’s blatant disregard for historical facts and sensationalized reporting should be a red flag for the First Nations, Inuit and Metis of Canada. Will the Canadian media react a similar way if, tomorrow, let’s say, any of the indigenous communities actually start a movement to take back their sacred site usurped by settlers? Will they acknowledge the truth or weave stories of “toxic nationalism”? Will the reaction have any dependency on the perpetrator? Will the reaction depend on whether the indigenous communities have or have not become an organized political force actually to result in a change on the ground? Will they demonize the indigenous communities if these communities, fed up with mere lip service, organize themselves socially and politically to demand and make reality their rightful place in Canadian society?
Here’s my theory. All this support and solidarity for the indigenous community, not just in the political spectrum but even in the media and popular arts, exists only because they are not, so far, the force, political or otherwise, enough to make real change on the ground. A lip service without actually doing anything suffices as of now. The day that happens, the indigenous communities will face the same vitriol that the Hindu community has been facing. I hope I am proven wrong someday, but it doesn’t seem likely.
Wrap Up
In essence, the Canadian media’s reaction to the historic events surrounding the Shri Ram Temple raises important questions about their ability to navigate nuanced narratives and uphold journalistic integrity. It serves as a cautionary signal for indigenous communities in Canada to remain vigilant, demanding fair and accurate representation in the media, regardless of their current political influence.
References:
https://www.britannica.com/place/Babri-Masjid
https://www.scobserver.in/journal/timeline-key-events-in-the-babri-masjid-ram-mandir-controversy/
https://www.scobserver.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Ayodhya_Final_Judgment3.pdf
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/india-hindu-temple-modi-1.7090144
https://globalnews.ca/news/10242003/india-ram-temple-ayodhya-narendra-modi/
