Importance of Ram Sethu

Holy scripture of Hindus Ramayan written by Valmiki and later ShriRamcharitmanas composed by Goswami Tulsidas both   have   mentioned construction of a bridge on ocean   by army of Rama   to make the way for this army to march throughout Srilanka from Rameshwaram in Tamilnadu. Ram has to march to Lanka to invade Ravana a cruel king who kidnapped Rama’s wife Sita by hook and crook.   This bridge which has been mentioned in several documents of Madras presidency of British period has been called there as Adam’s bridge . Now this historic bridge is again in news and this time not for any historic or religious reason, but because it’s facing the danger of extinction. This danger on this bridge with religious significance has agitated Hindus across the world.

If ambitious project of Indian government to make a canal in Gulf of Mannar and Palk bay becomes fulfill then extinction of this Bridge which has been considered one of four religious pilgrimages for Hindus is eminent. Now 2% of this bridge   has been damaged so far with ongoing work on this project. Rest of bridge is still secure because of failure of cutter machine whose blades are unable to cut the hard surface of this bridge.

This issue was first came in light two years ago when Hindu Dharmachrya Sabha went to supreme court with an appeal to stop the work because of its effect on Ram Setu ,but supreme court did not entertain this petition and they dismissed it and said petitioners to follow the genuine judicial process by going local court first. Sabha then knocked the door of local Ramnanth Puram court but this court finds them unable to deliver their decision on such huge matter. They assured Sabha to form some committee of experts to see into this matter, this delay tactics was very much typical bureaucratic tactics to dissolve the problem rather than resolve them and this religious organization first confronted with this reality as admitted by General Secretary of Dharmachrya Sabha Swami Permanand himself in one seminar. Not getting good response from judicial process Sabha decided to go into public with this matter. They contacted several organizations with this matter. Now general secretary Permanandji Maharaj has decided to unfold the drawback of this project along with showing   the importance of Ram Setu with historic, Archelogical and religious facts.

Setu Samudram project gets green signal from government of India on June 2005 and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and chairperson of UPA Mrs Sonia herself were present at the inauguration ceremony. Indian Government is linking this project with development of country so it is very important to make a healthy discussion on this project especially when sentiment of millions of millions Hindus are involved with Ram Setu which is going to be affected with this project.

Logics which Dharmacharya Sabha has presented before people in favour of Historic Ram Setu are not only based on sentiments. Setusamudram project is basically a canal project which has been started between Mannar Gulf and Pak bay to minimize the distance of ships going from this way, with completion of this project government of India would be able to generate more revenue as government claims.. But the most shocking fact is that before this four times this project were planned and distance of those projects were so much less than this very fifth project. This project has involved Dhanuskoti and Setu Babndh Rameshwaram(Rama’s Bridge) unnecessarily in this project which not only grows the cast of project but also hurts sentiments of Hindus. As Sabha has its argument that shipping corporation minister Mr T.R. Balu himself owns four to five ships so he has some vested interest in this project with his political boss Karunanidhi who want to hurt the sentiments of Hindus because of his Dravidian leanings. This project also got NOC certificate from government of India in haste.

Dharmachrya Sabha has raised three questions on the efforts to destroy historic Ram Setu. Their first argument is based on sentiments of Hindus. Millions of millions of Hindus across the world believe it as it was made by Ram himself and so it is pilgrimage centre for them and their sentiments are involved with this bridge.

Their second argument is based on Historic reasons. Historical documents prove that this bridge was part of tradition of India for thousands of years. In every Puranas along with Ramayan and Mahabharat has mentioned about this bridge. Puranas has historical significance for our historical tradition that once Pt. Nehru admitted its importance. When China claimed Kailash Mansarovar, Pt. Nehru replied in Parliament that it was part of our tradition for thousands years because it has been mentioned in our Puranas. Even those medieval Rajput kings which claimed themselves as decedents of Laxman and Ram has also mentioned of this bridge made by Ram. Even Sikh tradition also has mention of this bridge. Epigraphia Indica has also had some description on this bridge.

Some documents in Madras presidency of British period prove that this bridge was used to cross Tamilnadu for Ceylon with foot until 1480. In this British document this bridge has been called Adam’s bridge because Muslims term this as Adam’s bridge because of their religious tradition.  

Dharamacharya Sabha has third objection on this project that it did not analyze the effect of Tsunami after bridge would be no more. Scientists are of the view that because of this Ram Setu coastal area of Kerala was not effected so much and not become part of destruction as coastal area of Tamilnadu. Although an expert committee has been formed to study the alternatives to minimize the destruction from Tsunami, but importance of Ramsetu has not become part of this study. This clearly indicates how rash government’s stand was to give green signal to this project and this rashness give space to some doubts.

This setusamdram canal project has some severe implications on our energy reservoir and national security also well.

India and Sr iLanka has treaty between them and due to that treaty they have agreed to term water between these two nations as historical water, which means fisherman of any country could go anywhere in water irrespective of any boundary and
  this treaty between these two nations is not govern by international border rules even United nations has also approved this treaty but America did not approve this historical treaty and few years back they send   their fleet to breach the concept of historical treaty , now canal project would make sure that international ships would pass through this water region and international boundary rules come to this water region also and America get an involvement to interfere in this water region with its Asian military mission.

Other important part of this project which has more and more implications on our energy reservoir is also part of objection for this project. For energy reasons this region has so much importance for our country. In contemporary world nuclear reactors and breeder projects are basically dependent on uranium but this region has reservoir 90% of thorium of world’s reservoir. In near future thorium could be evolved as an alternative of uranium for nuclear energy. If it happens India have so much thorium that it can rely on this reservoir for next one century. This thorium has been collected there naturally because of Ramsetu, once this project becomes reality and Ram Setu will be destroyed we loose our energy reservoir also. This negligence on part of our government is remarkable. It is criminal negligence and should be probed whether government is under some external pressure to dump our energy reservoir or it is simple ignorance. Sabha has made allegations that Indian government is destroying its energy reservoir under pressure of America which do not want us to become self reliant in energy.

Rameshwaram regions bear so much valuable resources which have become source of livelihood for fishermen of this area. This project would hamper them badly and dredging of ocean would spread toxification within ocean which later becomes reason of extinction of more than 11,000 creatures of ocean.

Now Dharmacharya Sabha has finally decided to go into public on this issue to mobilize masses. Along with RSS and VHP Sabha has decided to launch an agitation. VHP has brought those stones from Rameshwram which are very light in weight and easily could float on water. These are stones which have been considered by Hindus that these are the same stones from which army of Ram built the bridge. VHP is planning to go to Hindu masses with this stone, this programme is reminiscent of famous Ram temple movement in 1989, when VHP traveled to every part of country with stones called RamShila .

Now it is very much clear that upcoming days will witness big politics on this issue. Leader in opposition in Tamilnadu Ms. Jaylaitha has made allegation on shipping corporation minister T.R.Balu that he has some financial interest in this project and he is making business out of this project.