Exploitation in the Guise of Spirituality and the False Face of Fascist Politics

✒ Dr. E. Yusuf Sahib Nadwi, Ochira

12 October 2026, 1 Jumada Al-Awwal 1448 AH

Spirituality, which serves as an instrument of human values and internal purification, has been transformed in contemporary India into a stepping stone to political power and a weapon for large-scale economic plunder. The most evident and painful example of this is the news of massive financial fraud emerging in connection with the Ram Temple constructed in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh.

Those who used physical force and political influence to usurp a place of worship where a community had offered prayers for centuries have now turned into a large commercial lobby capitalizing on the emotions of devotees. What is visible today in modern Ayodhya in Faizabad serves as the touchstone of a fascist conviction, that under the deceptive guise of spirituality, anyone can deceive anyone.

Looking back at history, it becomes clear that the disputes in Faizabad were not merely a land dispute, but a planned agenda for a specific political ideology to establish dominance in the country. The demolition of the Babri Masjid became a dark shadow over India's secularism. It took place in open defiance of the legal system and constitutional principles. It was with state support backing the clamor of the mob that the foundation for a vast commercial empire was laid there.

The historical truth that any center seized through violence and encroachment will ultimately culminate in ruin and widespread corruption is repeating itself in Faizabad. The root cause of this is not the sanctity of spirituality, but rather the politics of alienation and oppression. These events prove once again that for fascist forces striving to retain power by stoking majority sentiments, devotion is merely a marketable commodity.

It is not members of any minority community, but the former kar sevaks who fought at the forefront of this movement themselves who are now openly declaring that the 'Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust', formed for the construction of the Ram Temple in Faizabad, has become a haven for corrupt individuals and plunderers. The complaint submitted to the Uttar Pradesh Police by Santosh Dubey, a prominent and well-known kar sevak, along with his outspoken disclosures, clearly reveals the depth of this plunder taking place in the name of devotion. His words that "plunderers were made Trust members" should, at least now, serve as an eye-opener for the 'crores of devotees.'

Santosh Dubey alleges that corrupt individuals were installed in the Trust pursuant to high-level political decisions from Delhi. The Trust is attempting to shield those who ought to be in prison and those involved in financial crimes, honoring them by conferring new positions. Kar sevaks themselves publicly criticize that high-ranking figures like Champat Rai and Anil Mishra will have to answer for this, and that these individuals are crowning mafias while sidelining those who risked their lives to fight. Their demand is that the existing Trust be dissolved and a new administrative mechanism be brought in.

The question as to where the hundreds of thousands of crores of rupees collected from ordinary believers and the poor in the name of Shri Ram have gone remains pertinent. Documents have emerged indicating that large-scale corruption occurred in land deals and the procurement of temple construction materials. News reports had previously revealed how the Trust purchased low-value land evaluated at crores within minutes. The political backstage lobbies, realizing that devotion is the people's greatest vulnerability, are exploiting that sentiment to line their own pockets.

Those who don the deceptive mask of spirituality are easily able to escape from the law and society, regardless of caste, religion, class, or color. This is because speaking against them is portrayed in India as equivalent to speaking against God. It is this fear that the corrupt use as their shield of defense. However, even those who recognize that this commerce conducted in the name of devotion is a grave betrayal of their faith prefer silence in such situations.

These events underline once again that organizations such as the Vishva Hindu Parishad, RSS, and Bharatiya Janata Party have used spirituality and Lord Ram merely as a means to make money and gain votes. For those sitting at the helm of power, devotion is just a veil to execute their fascist agendas. However, the internal squabbles behind the Ram Temple serve as a warning that empires built on the path of unrighteousness and by harming others will never endure for long.

How long can a society be suppressed using communalism and physical muscle power? Although the strategy of divide and rule may yield temporary gains, the seeds of hatred it sows in society will ultimately consume these rulers themselves. As the frauds in Ayodhya come to light, it becomes a potent warning and perhaps a corrective signal to the fascist politics encompassing the BJP.

This incident serves as a major precaution for all ordinary people. Spirituality does not reside in external grandiosity, display, or massive structures. Anything that fails to teach one to love fellow human beings and to live with justice on this earth cannot be called spirituality. Those who pursue fanaticism and blind devotion must realize that they are being deceived.

The construction of the Ram Temple stands as a clear testimony to the truth that everything seized using brute force, physical power, and fabricated history will ultimately turn into hubs of corruption and unrighteousness. People must become more conscious and be prepared to question the political and economic exploitation taking place under the guise of spirituality. Only then will democracy and humanity survive in this country with their true values intact.