Background

With the reconstruction of Ayodhya Ram Mandir nearing completion, it is time to look back on the long and painful history of its destruction by the Moghul invader Babur in 1526, the indomitable spirit of the Hindu community to keep its memory alive, the never-ending struggle to regain its possession, and, of course, the painful saga of the last seven decades to reclaim the right to rebuild the Mandir during the so-called “Independent India.”

In preparation for the inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir and the “Pran Pratishtha” ceremony on January 22, 2024, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), in collaboration with the Hindu University of America (HUA), organized a series of webinars to reprise the long history of the Hindu struggle and eventual victory to reclaim this sacred symbol of our civilization narrative. This “Good over Evil” struggle was chronicled in five parts:

Webinar 1: Archaeological Findings (Speaker: Sh. KK Muhammed)

Webinar 2: Historical Perspective (Speaker: Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi)

Webinar 3: The Legal Case (Speaker: Sh. Vishnu Shankar Jain)

Webinar 4: The Lessons Learned (Dr. Anand Ranganathan)

Webinar 5: Contribution of American Hindus (4-person panel)

Webinar 4 Speaker Background

Dr. Anand Ranganathan obtained his BSc (Hons) degree in Chemistry from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, after which he left on a Nehru Centenary Scholarship for Cambridge, UK, where he obtained his BA (Tripos) in Natural Sciences, his MA, and his PhD. After a post-doctoral stint at Cambridge, Anand returned to India to join the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Delhi, where he ran his lab for 16 years as a Staff Research Scientist. In 2015, he joined the Special Centre for Molecular Medicine at JNU, Delhi, and became a full Professor in 2019. His laboratory works in the area of Directed Evolution and Pathogenesis, with special emphasis on Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Anand Ranganathan writes and appears frequently on television debates on Politics, Media, and Science. His columns have appeared in Swarajya, DNA, Firstpost, and Newslaundry. He is also the Consulting Editor of Swarajya. He has written four books, all novels: The Land of the Wilted Rose (Rupa, 2012); For Love and Honour (Bloomsbury, 2015); The Rat Eater (Bloomsbury, 2019; co-authored); Soufflé (Penguin, 2023). His forthcoming book is on India’s forgotten scientists (Penguin, 2023; co-authored).