All the signs of the Second Coming, as foretold in the Bible, are visible: wars and conflicts, natural disasters, lawlessness and the moral decay of society. Increasingly, however, it would appear that the event shall happen not in Bethlehem or Palestine, but in India. A new God is about to be born here.

The omens and clues have been there for some time: the presiding over of the ‘sengol’ in a new Parliament; the displacement of the Shankaracharyas at the inauguration of the new Ram Mandir in Ayodhya; the Shivji-type meditative posture in a Kedarnath cave; the non-biological claims; the direct communion with the Gods.

And if anyone still had any doubts, the recent birthday celebrations of the prime candidate for the job should dispel them like tear gas at Jantar Mantar. He was worshipped like a God incarnate by the faithful, the powerful and the 37 per cent of the country who have been ideologically lobotomised. ‘Diyas’ were lit for his long life, ‘bhajans’ were sung in his praise and, I believe, even temples were erected for his eternal exaltation and glorification.

It appears to me that the stage is set for a new religion, Moditva, to replace Hindutva. The latter has served its purpose: religions must evolve to suit the zeitgeist of the times. New Gods must be brought in through lateral entry to strengthen the divine cadre, the scriptures must be reinterpreted to conform to the new ruling and fashionable ideology of the head priests, the loaves of office will be the new ‘prasad’ on offer,........

© National Herald