Communal tension in India is expected to reach its peak this week, when the Indian Prime Minister inaugurates the… Narendra Modi On Monday, it became a temple dedicated to what they call “the god Ram Mandir,” in a move that observers fear represents another nail in the coffin of secularism that has long been the basis of the country’s political system.

An article by American journalist Yasmine Sarhan, published by Time magazine, states that the temple was built on a disputed site that included Babri Mosque In the city of Ayodhya in northern India, which dates back to the 16th century, and remained standing for several centuries before it was destroyed by a “mob” of extremist Hindu nationalists in 1992.

Rana Ayyub, one of the most famous journalists in India and one of the party’s staunchest opponents, says: Bharatiya Janata PartyThroughout his career, Modi relied on establishing a temple in Ayodhya “because he realized early on that the only way to become popular with the masses was to approach them through the Ram Temple.”

She adds that this step “is the most he can do as a Hindu nationalist leader, and the best time to make the Indian Muslim a second-class citizen.”

Rana adds, “The destruction of the Babri Mosque remains an open wound.” She says, “To be constantly reminded of the scar, and then to be told now that the entire nation is celebrating this temple, which is being built on top of a mosque, is like pouring salt on an already deep wound.”

For Hindus, the site represents the birthplace of Ram Mandir, “one of the most sacred deities in Hinduism.”

According to the article, observers believe that the inauguration ceremony will mark the unofficial start of Prime Minister Modi's campaign to win a third consecutive term in the elections that will be held in the spring. For this reason, the leaders of the opposition Congress Party chose not to attend the ceremony. They see it as nothing more than “a political project whose deadline has been advanced, to achieve electoral gains.”

Although the Indian government and many Hindus view the inauguration of the temple on January 22 as a celebratory occasion of great national and religious importance; Observers fear – according to the Time article – that the event will be another nail in the coffin of the secular spirit in India.

Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, told TIME in an email that the events surrounding the construction of the Ram Mandir “represent some of the most divisive religious and societal issues in contemporary India.” He added that the inauguration of the temple “conceals within it the most painful and conflicting events in the history of India.”

Tens of thousands of religious Hindus are expected to flock to the city of Ayodhya, which Hindu nationalist leaders call the “Hindu Vatican,” likening the headquarters of the Christian Catholic Church.

Although the construction – which began in 2020 – is not scheduled to be completed before next December, the ceremony that will be held on January 22 is the official inauguration of the site, where religious rituals will be held for several days to celebrate this occasion. Which will not be limited to Ayodhya alone; Rather, it will extend to all of India.

For Prime Minister Modi, the construction of the Ram Temple is more than just the fulfillment of a Hindu nationalist promise decades ago, and a key project for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, according to Yasmin in her article in the American magazine.

The author believes that Modi, with this inauguration, strengthens his political legacy as one of the country's most important leaders, especially as he works to transform India from a secular democratic state into an explicitly Hindu nation.

According to Yasmine’s article, the inauguration of the temple comes after a number of other political measures implemented by Modi, in his quest to advance his government’s Hindu nationalist agenda. Such as: the passage of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019, which grants Indian citizenship to religious minorities from neighboring countries and excludes Muslims, undermining the secularism imposed by India’s Constitution.

Among that agenda is the abolition of the special autonomous status of Indian-administered Kashmir, which is the only state with a Muslim majority in the country.

Yasmine quotes the director of the South Asia Institute, Michael Kugelman, as saying that the inauguration of the temple is “a strong expression of Modi’s election campaign strategy,” noting that Modi linked the establishment of the temple with a series of infrastructure and social welfare projects, “and in this sense it combines nationalism “Hinduism and social welfare, which are two distinct themes not only in this election, but in his broader policies. It is a combination of the factors of his success.”