Exclusive: Norway MP Himanshu Gulati, an invitee for Ram Mandir ceremony, talks about historic moment

Himanshu Gulati, a Member of Parliament in Norway, has received an invite for Ram Mandir consecration ceremony due to take place in Ayodhya in India on January 22. The MP of Indian heritage spoke exclusively with WION's Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibbal and said that he was "deeply honoured" to have been invited.

"I just feel a sense of history being made with this great event, which is bringing people together from all over the world and it's truly a moment of celebration for all of us," said Gulati from Oslo.

"Ayodhya and the Ram Mandir are a great example of how an issue, that was a dispute, that could be filled with tension has been settled in a very democratic and peaceful way. That's a model for the whole world to learn from," he said. The 35-year-old MP was conferred Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by President of India in 2019.

WION: You have been invited for the Ram Temple consecration ceremony. How did you receive the invite and tell us about your feeling when you got it.

Himanshu Gulati: It's a big honour to be invited to such a historic event, as the representative of the Norwegian parliament, Norwegian people but also as somebody who belongs to the Hindu faith. It's also a great personal joy. I received the invite through VHP (Vishva Hindu Parishad). I have to say I was surprised but also deeply honoured.

WION: If you can talk about your visit to India. When are you leaving from Oslo?

Himanshu Gulati: I'm in fact, leaving in a few hours. I'll be flying straight to Lucknow where all the international dignitaries have been invited to meet and from there, we will be taken to Ayodhya. We will be spending two nights and you know, I just feel a sense of history being made with this great event, which is bringing people together from all over the world and it's truly a moment of celebration for all of us.

WION: How many people have been invited from Norway or even from the Nordic region? Or are you the only person in that part of Europe who has been invited for the ceremony?

Himanshu Gulati: I'm the only one from Norway who has been invited and I believe there are only about 50 dignitaries from abroad who have got invitation for ceremony in India so I feel very deeply honoured to be able to witness this event but trust me, we represent a lot of people. Many people from my country and other European countries have requested me to bring 'prasad' from the Ram Mandir and offer prayers. We might be few, but we represent hundreds and thousands of people of Indian background and of Hindu faith from Europe. Whole world will look at Ayodhya this Monday.

WION: As you travel from Norway, are you bringing anything special to Ayodhya? Countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka and others have strong cultural links with India. Will you be bringing anything special from Norway?

Himanshu Gulati: I'm bringing two things with me. I'm bringing yoga mats designed in Norway, and I'm also bringing a small polar bear statue, because that represents something unique from the northern part of the world, from Scandinavia, from Norway, especially, and I wish to bridge India and this cultural and spiritual event with something unique from the country that I represent.

Watch | Ram Mandir Ayodhya: Idol of Ram Lalla placed in Sanctum Sanctorum

WION: Any meeting with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the cards? If yes, what will you say to him?

Himanshu Gulati: I've had the pleasure of meeting Prime Minister Modi ji earlier and I've met other dignitaries like the foreign minister. No such meetings are planned this time because I think there are going to be so many people in Ayodhya that they are going to be busy. But I do bring a message, and that's a message of peace and harmony. I represent Norway, which is the country that hands out the Nobel Peace Prize every year. And I think Ayodhya and the Ram Mandir are a great example of how an issue, that was a dispute, that could be filled with tension has been settled in a very democratic and peaceful way. That's a model for the whole world to learn from. So I will bring in a message of peace and harmony from my part of the world.

WION: You are of Hindu faith. How do you, as a Hindu politician, feel while working in Western policymaking circles?

Himanshu Gulati: You know, the values that our parents teach us, that our culture teaches us, that our faith teaches us define who we are and help us in life in all aspects. And I think the values in a Hindu faith are very much aligned with the democratic values and the respect for an individual in the West. So in that way, you know, they're very compatible. It's also a matter of pride to see that there's a Hindu prime minister in Britain at the moment. We have several candidates running for president in the United States who are of Hindu faith. So I think people of Hindu faith are now more recognised and people see that these are people who contribute well in their societies, no matter which part of the world they live in.