Ayodhya Ram temple theft and importance of Gandhiji's 7th sin: Worship without sacrifice
The scheme long associated with the "Father of the Nation"—the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)—has now been renamed the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee
The scheme long associated with the "Father of the Nation"—the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)—has now been renamed the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural). The Seven Social Sins That Refuse to Disappear It may seem futile today to revisit the Seven Social Sins that Mahatma Gandhi identified decades ago. Yet they remain as relevant as ever. Read Full Story Politics without principle continues to dominate our public life. There is little need to elaborate on wealth without work. India today is home to some of the world's wealthiest individuals, yet millions still depend on free food grain for survival. Need we say anything more about pleasure without conscience? One's own conscience is the ultimate witness. Yet almost every day, newspapers and television channels report horrifying crimes in which spouses murder one another with the help of lovers, sometimes even killing innocent children who stand in their way. Knowledge without character has existed for generations. With the explosion of media and social platforms, it appears even more pervasive today. The real tragedy is that such individuals continue to attract devoted followers. Governments, too, sometimes display extraordinary generosity by granting them parole. Even distinguished industrialists such as NR Narayana Murthy have opined that "the person who pays a bribe should not be punished." What more needs to be said about commerce without morality? As for science without humanity, it is increasingly evident in modern warfare. Nations deploy unmanned aerial vehicles into enemy territory, protecting their own soldiers while inflicting destruction from a distance.
A Thunderbolt This entire discussion arises because even those of us who believed that Gandhi's seventh social sin—"Worship without Sacrifice"—had become an accepted part of our public life, were stunned by a shocking revelation on June 7, 2026. Allegations surfaced that approximately Rs 7–7.5 crore had been siphoned off from donations offered by devotees at the Ram Mandir for the worship of Ram Lalla. Disturbing Facts According to the preliminary findings of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) Temple staff allegedly colluded to embezzle large sums of cash. Cash was reportedly stolen on nearly 70 occasions over 42 days while avoiding CCTV surveillance. Investigators recovered nearly 80 lakh during the probe. Gold ornaments donated by devotees were allegedly melted down and converted into gold biscuits. Contrary to established procedures, the keys to several donation boxes were reportedly entrusted to a junior employee who allegedly possessed a substantial share of the illicit funds. Even before the SIT investigation formally began, temple authorities reportedly recovered a significant amount of cash and jewellery from an employee involved in counting donations. Staff allegedly obstructed CCTV cameras and concealed cash inside their clothing and even in washrooms. Records relating to 60 kilograms of donated silver bars require verification. Some valuable donated items may never have entered the Trust's official accounts. Warnings That Went Unheeded When suspicions first arose, the temple trust and officials of the State Bank of India reportedly met during 2025 and adopted several Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The safeguards reportedly included A security guard must be present during donation counting.
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