The BJP’s breast-beating over the historicity of Ram Sethu has seen the Congress-led UPA government do a U-turn at breakneck speed on the highway of electoral politics, even at the risk of hurting co-passengers.
Heads have rolled in the supposedly autonomous Archaelogical Survey of India, no thanks to the overreach of its affidavit, even while tourism and culture minister Ambika Soni is being taunted into putting in her papers by her colleague Jairam Ramesh.
Undaunted, the Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi (DMK cabinet member T.R. Baalu is believed to have had a hand in the original ASI affidavit) has come down like a tonne of bricks on those opposing the “development of Tamil Nadu” while standing on the plank of religious sentiment.
MuKa, as the Tamil television channels call him, is reported to have asked if Lord Rama was an engineer to have built the bridge 17 lakh years ago.
“Who is this Ram? From which engineering college did he geet the engineering degree? Where is the proof that the bridge was built by him?”
As if to underline the perils of placing too much faith on, well, faith in a country which tellingly boasts of more places of worship than schools, colleges and hospitals, The Telegraph has a fine story today on another controversy simmering in the name of Lord Rama, several thousand miles away from Ram sethu, at the other tip of the country.
The Jammu & Kashmir government is developing a village called Sutti Haran (reputedly a distortion of Sita Haran, meaning the spot from which Sita was abducted by Ravana) into a tourist resort. The local Hindu population firmly believes in the Ramayan link, but those opposed to the project believe that a revered Muslim site is on the verge of being usurped by Hinduism.
Which raises a very simple question:
If all the myths and legends about all our religious symbols and icons were to be respected in every village, town and city of India i.e. Bharat in the name of majority (or minority) sentiment, can even a handful of projects take off in full steam, without some party or the other, letting off, well, steam on majority (or minority) sentiment being trampled?
Or, should religious sentiment always gain precedence over everything else?
Only majority religious sentiment?
Also read: ‘Ramayana is not a myth‘
Infographic: courtesy The Telegraph, Calcutta
churumuri 
Karunanidhi and his ilk in thier zest to appease the anti-Hindus can do anything. Soon they might ask Anbumani Rama-DOSS’ ministry to submit a report on Lord Ganesha and ask for the surgeons’ opinions.
God knows how can TN accelerate its development with this stupid project of DMK. It will be only DMK who will benefit from this project while the marine life, fishermen will get screwed.
If it is a matter of sentiments (majority or minority…well Hindus are the minorities in JK), the Govt should not even feed on the thoughts of demolishing those sentiments. Adam’s bridge is a natural monument that has a strong linkage to Ramayana. Removing this or a Haji Ali for some commercial purpose is ridiculous. At the same time, the temporary sheds springing up as ‘temples’ or ‘dargas’ should be demolished.
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Why on the earth is any one speaking about ecological impact of this project?
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wonder how religious Ram Sethu will be when SL slowly becomes a PRC ally.
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It is always petty politics that comes in the way and not respect or the lack of it towards anything.
MuKa and his nonsense! Give me a break! He wants proof? He and his ilk, fanatic votaries of submerged Lemurias and kumAri-khanDams and fictitious changams, want proof about Rama?
What is this snide question about respecting “majority religious sentiment”? Going by what has happened since independence, do you think the government has ever cared about that?
Anyway, isn’t democracy all about “majority” vote, if you talk about *only* majority sentiment?
Rama Sethu or just setu (as it is referred to in countless works in Skt) as “Asetu-himAchala-paryantam” and so on has been in Indian culture for a long time now. Just as an icon of culture, it is valuable. I am not even talking of a man-made structure.
Of course, the ecological benefit that the Rama Setu gives has not been spoken about at all! Of course, when Mu Ka and his cohorts want to make loads of money at any cost, who has the time to care about things like environment and ecology?
About sItA being abducted from Kashmir – it is a “local” faith. Panchavati (near Nasik) is almost unanimously considered as the place from where sItA was abducted.
Anyway, the question that churumuri raises is worded not just simply but simplistically. It is really not that simple.
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Dear friends none of the Indian Media either print (The Hindu, Deccan Herald, Deccan chronicle, Times and many others) and electronic media (NDTV, SUN Network) condemned this incident and pulled Congress for its mistake. If it would have been minority case all these media people taken pro minority normal public opinion and published and tempted minority people to take weapons against Hindus but now keeping quite. This is shear insult to the Hindu community. These press people are alive just because lot of Hindus read papers. As for as Electronic media is concerned most of the Hindus watch TV that’s the reason no. off adds and profit. Now these media are stabbing Hindus. Should we need such media? Do we need to read such papers? Why Indian media doesn’t support Hindus sentiments?
Why don’t media ask Congress to ask apology for RAM incident. Why is Indian media negligence to Hindus sentiments? Why Indian media is pulling BJP here on RAM history. BJP is not debating RAM history. It’s Congress and UPA government which is run by Soina Gandhi is debating RAM history and insulted Hindus. I would like to ask question to Indian media why is it so negligence to Hindu sentiments. Where are your secular credentials gone? Is secular means insulting Hinduism if so one suspects moral ethics of Indian press? Thanks to the mouth piece practise of Indian press towards Congress and UPA government. The Hindu paper publish if you oppose government stand on RAM then you are called Hindtutava forces. Why this statement has not come from The Hindu news paper when Danish paper published Mohammed cartoon and there was lot of violence? Is India media saving Congress and UPA government by keeping quite? The same media barked like mad street dog on BJP for anti minority stand is now can’t bark on Congress and UPA.
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I honestly don’t think that what is called “Ramar Setu” is actually man made. There are numerous other “bridges” similar to this one all over the world.
If that makes me a “pseudo-secularist” so be it.
However, the fact that the government in its infinite wisdom chose to play secularist politics with the issue makes me want to ask “What the hell?”. I am instinctively on the opposite side of communists.
So if that makes me a hypocrite, so be it too!
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MuKa is not only dumb (intellectually) but also deaf to popular sentiments.
Just because he is an atheist doesn’t mean that he needs to hurt everyone else those who don’t toe his line of thoughts. To be fair, Rama was a Maryada Purusha and Eka Patneevratastha (unlike MuKa). Rama always feared for the wrong and our MuKa fears always for the right. No wonder he was stripped by Amma in her tenure and made to sit in front of the jail… I just wonder when the time comes back!
MuKa may be a good orator to drum up crowds with his skills, but he lacks any common sense that is required by a political leader in order to maintain a decorum (I am not saying others do have – but they are senile). To say that Rama’s ideology is an Aryan imposition on Dravidians is laughable to say the least!! As Subramayam Swamy was mentioning the other day on NDTV, I think MuKa will have to go back to elementary school to study History and come back to take the chief minister’s chair.
As someone has mentioned somewhere in Churumuri, I wonder why did the apes who constructed the bridge never made a blueprint for this MuKa (dumb) ape and his tribe amongst the UPA to know that it was invaluable engineering marvel!!
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Where did Rama get the engineers? Karunanidhi must ask his ancestors- the apes.
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No true hindu should vote for Congress anymore. Yes, my dear hindus, please remember it. I wonder why the congress party leaders who believe in Hinduism are silent. The problem with congress party is every one in there is too good and eager to bum lick the royal family. If hindus carefully observe there is a serious conspiracy going on in the top. It could by all means be first of its kind in the history.
First, Sonia brought Benny Hin to Bangalore for his religious speeches.
Next, defamed Kanchi seer. Andhra’s CM said not all seven hills belong to Tirumala. Next this one.
Slowly they are trying to destabilize the hindu community. By population figures also, others are increasing and hindus are declining. Unless hindus realize these things, they can not stop being victims of the conspiracy.
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As far as one could see, there was no “breast-beating” by BJP over the historicity of Ram Sethu. Mr. Advani protested to the PM in the most diginified way and the lower rung leaders also did not beat their breasts. Besides, there was practically no violence, no shops attacked, no vehicles burnt, no suicide bombing, no fatwa issued and no bounty offered for any Congress head. Perhaps, this non-reaction on the part of the Hindus irritated, and certainly disappointed the secular mafia and their drum beaters in the Angrezi media.
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If Rama was a drunkard, Karunanidhi (MuKa) is a bastard!!
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respect hindu sentiments…MuKa is a manhole cleaner,no less….
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>> Why on the earth is any one speaking about ecological impact of this project? >>
Wrong. The case in the supreme court has comprehensive ecological and environmental objections as well. Lets not assume all religious people are unscientific.
Can anyone here throw some light on the archeological expeditions undertaken by the ASI before declaring their conclusions in the affidavit ? Now, this is surely a purely scientific question isnt it ?
To the original poster :
Hundreds of temples have been moved in many cities to widen roads, accomodate dams, etc. Perhaps, Ram Sethu is a little more than the roadside temple to believers. Its just a wild guess.
Is it possible that Ram is as sacred to the religious as “rational and scientific proof” to the atheists ? I dont see a single rationalist question the scientific basis of the ASI’s affidavit. It is tempting to conclude that rationalists really want to avoid a scientific discussion.
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Haven’t we become more religious and truer Hindus since politicians have started making Hindutva their agenda?
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