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India’s prime minister Narendra Modi this week turned the consecration of the controversial Hindu Ayodhya temple into a massive national event. He invited, 8,000 VIPs including Bollywood stars, Hindu religious leaders, politicians and diplomats. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims also made their way to the town.
Vikram Visana argues that the inauguration of the temple has little to do with Hindu religious doctrine. Rather it is aimed at energising Modi’s political base among Hindu nationalists ahead of national elections due in April or May this year. And is allied to other strategies for forging Hindu unity while publicly humiliating Muslims.
The late TB Joshua was a pioneering Nigerian televangelist, prophet and faith healer who launched a global Pentecostal empire off the strength of his miracles. A lengthy media investigation has alleged that he also raped, tortured and abused several of his followers, abused their children and faked his miracles. The question is, what forces gave this man so much power and such protection? That’s what we asked a leading theologian, Nimi Wariboko.
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