In a positive development, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Thursday (30 July) informed that soil from various Valmiki temples would be collected for the ‘bhoomi pujan’ ceremony of Ayodhya Shri Ram temple, reports Economic Times.

As per the report, the soil will also be collected from places such Nagpur, the place where BR Ambedkar converted to Buddhism and Mhow, his birthplace.

Other places important to the community such as Sant Ravidas temple in Kashi, Tantya Bhil temple in Madhya Pradesh, Maharshi Valmiki Ashram in Sitamarhi and Valmiki Ashram in central Delhi, where Mahatma Gandhi spent over a month, have also sent soil to Ayodhya through VHP.

Central Secretary-General (VHP) Milind Parande said that Lord Ram emphasised on the message of social unity and that the Ram Mandir will showcase the togetherness of India.

The spokesperson of VHP, Vinod Bansal, underscored that the foundation stone of Ram Mandir was laid down in 1989 by a Dalit Kar Sevak named Kameshwar Chaupal. He added that Chaupal is now a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust.

During the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, the frontrunners included people from oppressed sections of the society including Kalyan Singh, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar, and Sadhvi Ritambhara.

Bansal reportedly said, “The SC community is an integral part of the Hindu society… This community has resisted conversions and fought the most to save cows. The Sangh is indebted to them.”

It should be noted that in December last year, VHP had called for a Dalit priest for the proposed Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and said that this will send a message of social harmony across the country.

“The VHP is preparing several Dalit priests from quite some time. With the Dharmacharya Contact Department and Archak Purohit Department, the VHP is running a campaign to train Scheduled Caste to become a priest," Bansal said at that time.