With recent developments happening around Ram Sethu, I decided to take
some time, look at the facts and provide my views in this blog of mine.
Facts- It is believed in Hinduism that Lord Ram and his allies built a bridge
across Tamil Nadu, India and SriLanka of stones so as to enable an army
to cross over to wage a battle with Ravana, the then king of Lanka.
This belief is from the texts of Ramayana which has been in India for
ages. - Hindus form 80% of the population of India.
- Festivals like Ramanavami and Deepavali are celebrated with grandeur all over India in the name of Lord Ram.
- There is still no historic/scientific evidence that the bridge was man-made.
- Government of India recognizes Ram Sethu as a mythical bridge southeast of Rameshwaram,
Tamil
Nadu, connecting with the Talaimanar coast of Sri Lanka. The Government
says the Setu (bridge) is actually a natural, 30-km-long chain of sand
banks. - The presence of Ram-Sethu has made ships to take a route around SriLanka to reach the other coast of India.
- The Rs 2087-Sethusamudram project, will build a canal from the west
coast of India to the east coast without going around Sri Lanka. This project will
damage the Sethu (bridge). Work on the project began in July 2005. - The Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project will dredge a channel in a narrow
strip of sea between India and Sri Lanka, reducing distances and
cutting costs for freight traffic. - The Supreme Court has restrained the government from causing any damage to the Sethu following petitions from people.
- A political party in Tamil Nadu, DMK has been a strong believer that no God prevails
and have been known to take an anti-hindu stance in the past. Most of
the belief of this party is based on anti Aryan beliefs (people of the
Northern India). - DMK wants the continuation of the project.
- The disputed region is India's only marine bio reserve.
- Dredging on the sea bed would cause deaths of marine species like Whales
- Sea life in the region would be destroyed.
- The travel distance saved in this project is very less (few nautical miles)
compared to other projects of this nature. Hence the cost savings might
not be phenomenal for the recovery of the project cost.
Life of RamThe life of Ram is an inspiration to all who seek to be righteous and follow the path of dharma. The whole Ramayana can be seen as one man's life as a son, brother, husband, father and the king. Every aspect of the man and the decision he made though painful for him has been in the footsteps of what is the right and what is for greater good.
Today, people in India celebrate Diwali and Ramanavami all through the country in honour of the great person.
There have been questions raised in modern times about why Lord Ram left his wife in the forest over some citizen's accusation. Or why did he ask her to take agni pariksha (proof of purity) in Lanka. People should know the age when the incident took place is different from what its now. Moreover, Sita could have refused to leave Ayodya or gone to her parent's place. Instead she took it as she believed its for the greater good and what she did was right at an age so long ago. Its not a correct point of view to reexamine history or past in comparison with a modern age mentality.
People should know and have the intelligence to think across ages before they can write or examine the past.
Hindu Belief - A faith undividedWhether the story of Ram is true or its a myth is not a question. His presence and his life is not merely a belief of a few, but a faith that has been deeply embedded in the minds and the hearts of millions of people. His name is a part of everyday life of many. Parents name their children after him. Saints through ages sang his praise (Thiyagaraja & Tulsidas for example) and men, women and children alike chant his name daily. There are festivals celebrated in his honor by over a billion people. Its a faith in Lord Ram thats undivided.
Extremism among Hindus - Why & How?Hinduism is a faith that has always been patient and tolerant. Over the ages, this faith amongst people have been caught in the midst of various invasions and humiliation. Historic evidences and monuments had been ravaged by invaders for centuries. Yet the faith has been kept alive because of the people who believe its a part of them.
Mahatma Gandhi's ways of ahimsa and satyagraha for the Indian freedom movement was drawn from the essence of this very faith. It proved an effective weapon bringing down the curtains on the dominating and unethical English rule in India.
Over years post independence, political parties has been following the English way of giving priorities and incentives to the minority religions causing a divide and rule. These political parties still use the same tool to lure voters and come to power.
When people are subjected to such invasion, slaughter and disgrace over a period
of time it brings a revolt by the oppressed against the oppressive.
This is what is seen as instances by few sections of the Hindu society
in India.
Karunanidhi & DMKEver since the Ram Sethu project was brought up the Tamil Nadu government has been supportive of the project. But the government is not sure about the cost effectiveness of the project as well as its not clear whether the cost savings would outweigh and justify the destruction of India's only marine bio reserve.
Without clarity and certainty on the above mentioned points, moving ahead with the project is
not the right way to go.
The current DMK regime lacks the clarity. As a matter of fact, its ministers are not bright or educated to make the right calls for the progress of the state. For instance A Raja (current minister for Telecom at the Center) had been a Forest Minister when the tiger population in India became an all time low. Despite program like Project Tiger and funding from abroad the ministry under him had not been effective. The same holds good for Mayor of Chennai, Stalin who had left the city of Chennai without daily water supply.
Poor management and corruption has been well known identity of the DMK regime. But there should be no surprises to anyone on this. The party is a good representation of leaders who are illogical, incompetent and lack of judgement for the RIGHT, TRUTH and COMMON SENSE.
For instance, removing the Ram Sethu formation is not wrong if its done with proper justification and after clarity and proof of what good it could bring. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, instead of getting the right scientific and economical people to get to the facts. went about calling Ram a myth and a mere character in a story book written by sage Valmiki. He went on to embrace "a divide and rule policy" amongst the people of Tamil Nadu saying Ram is a God for people in Nothern India (Aryans) and not Dravidians. He and his party sinked to all time low calling for a state wide bandh (strike) to go ahead with the Sethusamudram project.
What Karunanidhi as a leader must know is he has been elected by the people and should hence represent them. There are many important projects that needs to be implemented by his government but concentrating on small misleading projects and calling bandh does not befit any ruling party leader. He needs to get his priorities right and if his brain is too slow for it, I guess the right thing to do then is for him to take/put(by the people) into retirement.
Comments:
1. Karunanidhi has resorted in an unforgivable way to divide the united people of Tamil Nadu. It has been a stand he took years back with "a ban Hindi movement" and stating that "Ram is a God for the Indians outside Tamil Nadu". The DMK wants to segregate the people of Tamil Nadu on this basis Dravidians and Aryans. This centuries old segregation is still used by DMK to get the voters. But people need to get over this and think about progress and freedom from such crooked and narrow ideas.
2. If Sethu samudram project is something that brings good (which facts prove otherwise) then the project must be implemented. The costs of marine life must be weighed against this before taking any steps.
3. For people who have faith in Ram, please be wise to understand that Lord built the bridge for a purpose and it served its purpose. Now if the proposed will bring greater good. The project implementation should go on. But you have the right to get the Government to prove its cost effectiveness and also about the environment.
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