The sociological and political implications of the temple to the Hindu God Rama that was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India on Jan 22, 2024. 

Synopsis: Join The Straits Times' associate editor and senior Asia columnist Ravi Velloor, as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent.

In this episode, Ravi speaks with the respected sociologist and head of Indian Century Roundtable Salvatore Babones, an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney.   

They discuss the consecration of the temple, its likely effect on voters in the coming election, unease felt by minority groups and talk by some elements in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party about a ‘Hindu Vatican’.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:11 Indian state endorsing religion; ‘secularism’ was added to the Constitution later

8:15 Why temple inauguration is unlikely to affect voters

14:00 Birth of a second Republic?

19:13 How minorities feel

21:47 Some Muslims do vote BJP, says Prof Babones

22:45 The Hindu ‘Vatican’?

Produced by: Ravi Velloor ([email protected]) and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

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