Date:14/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/14/stories/2007091453691201.htm

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Ramar Sethu issue

This refers to the Archaeological Survey of India’s submission in the Supreme Court that there is no evidence to prove that Ramar Sethu is man made (Sept. 13). Predictably, the BJP and its cohorts act out their charade of Hindutva-charged nationalism that befools both history and common sense. Marine biologists and geologists assert that there is no man made bridge across the Palk Strait. What exist are the remains of an ancient coral reef. The uproar over the Ramar Sethu offers the BJP an opportunity to restore its faded aura. Ayodhya being a distant dream, and its repeated machinations on the nuclear issue snubbed, the BJP is finding refuge in the Ramar Sethu issue.

T. Marx,
Karaikal

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When the country is seriously debating the Indo-U.S. civil nuclear agreement, the main opposition party has not only disrupted the parliamentary proceedings but also raked up one more issue.

The heartening fact is that for the first time the sangh parivar is trying to save a bridge, after all these years of demolishing bridges of understanding between the people of different faiths.

N. Divakar,
Mysore

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Creating a furore against the ruling party has become the routine business of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal. We should not be carried away by emotions. From the economic point of view, the Sethusamudram project should go on.

Manmath Nayak,
Dhenkanal

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I believe that Ramar Sethu is a natural formation and can be dispensed with if its destruction is economically beneficial to us and does not cause any ecological damage. Many expert analyses have said the proposed waterway will not be economically viable, because large vessels will not be able to use it and the usage charges for others will have to be higher than the fuel cost of circumnavigating Sri Lanka.

The government, therefore, will do well not to stand on prestige but discuss the whole matter afresh before continuing with the Sethusamudram project.

R. Narasimhan,
Chennai

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Perhaps, as ASI has suggested, Lord Rama never existed and is a figment of our imagination. Perhaps Ramar Sethu is not man made and is a natural structure. But that is all the more reason why it should be preserved, because in another million years no man-made structure can replace it.

Even if the protests against the Sethusamudram project by the sangh parivar are politically motivated, we should not ignore the warnings of several ecologists and geologists who predicted the disastrous consequences of the project. We should not forget that had it not been for this structure, the tsunami would have caused a lot more damage than it did.

Ramesh Chandran,
Hyderabad

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The question is not whether Ramar Sethu is a man-made structure or not. It has to do with the religious belief of people and should be dealt with as such. It is illogical to find scientific solutions to religious issues.

S. Bijuram,
Palakkad

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Kailash is a natural formation, a mountain like any other. But it is considered holy and revered by Hindus and Buddhists the world over. Science or logic cannot diminish this belief. Similarly Ramar Sethu, even if it is a natural formation as asserted by the ASI, is held in high esteem by Hindus. The government should keep their sentiments in mind and consider an alternative plan.

M. Sundar,
Chennai

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The ASI may be right in saying Ramar Sethu is not man made. But millions of Hindus have believed through the ages that it is divine. It is not just a bridge connecting two land masses. Enshrined in it are all the principles that Lord Rama stood for.

Col. C.V. Venugopalan (retd.),
Palakkad

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The government should put an end to the imbroglio before it gets out of hand. Is worship of god based on faith or historical evidence? Our nation has already paid for the historical folly in the Ram Janmabhoomi issue.

Vasa Srinivasa Murthy,
Visakhapatnam

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One should not conclude that the ASI’s report is final or that the method it followed is correct. If we look at history, we find that something which could not be proved in the past was proved later because of the advent of technology. The same line of reasoning should apply to Adam’s Bridge too.

The places mentioned in the millennium-old Ramayana exist to this day. Why then should we rule out the possibility of Ramar Sethu being man made?

R. Kumaran,
Tirupati

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It is not so much about Sethu being Rama’s creation as about the perceived disregard for Hindu sentiments that seems to be behind the protest by the Hindutva forces.

C.N. Parthasarathy,
Hyderabad

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There may be no evidence to prove that Ramar Sethu, or Dwarka for that matter, is man made. But they have a symbolic value which transcends all barriers or logic. At times, people’s faith is stronger than any evidence.

P.U. Krishnan,
Udhagamandalam

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The mythical Ramar Sethu should not become a pawn in the political battle between the ruling dispensation and the opposition.

It is a matter of faith for millions of Hindus worldwide. Timeless Indian culture and tradition are at risk.

Sibani Sankar Samantaray,
Bhubaneswar