Hands off Ramar bridge: RSS

The national council of the RSS has warned the Central government that it should be ready to face the consequences, if it destroyed the Ramar bridge in the Palk straits for the construction of Sethu samudram project.

On the concluding day of the three day Akhil Bhartiya Prathinidi Sabha (ABPS) ? the national council meet at Lucknow, the RSS said by going ahead with the destruction of Ramar bridge, the government trampled upon the sentiments of crores of Hindus.

‘The project smacks of a sinister design to destroy Bharat’s age old heritage and world’s most ancient man made structure much older than the pyramids of Egypt (4500 years) and the Great wall of China (2600 years),’ a resolution passed at the end of the meet said and wanted to know why the government should not go ahead with alternative routes that do not destroy the Rama Sethu bridge.

The objections raised by the environmentalists and the livelihood concerns of thousands of fishermen were brushed aside and experts from the marine archaeology were not consulted.

‘The ABPS wishes to remind all that Taj Mahal and Kutub Minar were saved from destruction. While these were only a few hundred years old, the Ramar bridge’s historical antiquity goest back to several millennia.’

Even the British gazette records mention that people used to cross the sea over that bridge till 15th century. NASA images also show a 30km long chain of unique sand shoals.

‘There is also a strong local tradition irrespective of religion that attaches great sacredness to the Rama Sethu bridge. The government should respect the senitiments of the people and protect it as a heritage site under UNESCO mandate.’ Several other resolutions were also passed at the end of the three day national council meeting.