Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Raging controversy

The controversy over Ramar Sethu, arising out of an affidavit filed by the Archaeological Survey of India in the Supreme Court, seems to be the result of a mistake made by some officials and legal advisers. The BJP has seized the issue and wants to capitalise on it.

The party has blown it out of proportion, and even sought an apology from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi besides seeking the resignation of three Central Ministers. Instead of exploiting religious sentiments, it should pay attention to people’s issues.

G. Chandrasekaran,

Udumalpet

The withdrawal of the affidavit on Ramar Sethu is not only appeasement of the majority community by the UPA government. It is also an effective prevention of a scientific organisation from stating facts.

Bilal Akhtar,

Secunderabad

Putting off the Sethusamudram project does not mean the government has surrendered to communal forces. It is, in fact, a blessing in disguise.

The aftermath of the tsunami compelled responsible citizens, particularly those belonging to the Rameswaram-Mandapam area, to re-think the project. Fishing activities and marine biodiversity of the region will be affected adversely by the project. Revenue from the project, compared to the investment, is also debatable.

S. Bhanu,

Kochi

All those arguing whether the Ramar Sethu was built by Lord Rama or not are missing the point. The bridge is part of our heritage. It appears that sufficient investigations have not been carried out to determine the nature of its formation.

We have a Ministry of Culture, which is responsible for preserving the country’s culture. It should take immediate steps to get this aspect investigated before any conclusion is arrived at.

S.R.S. Sastri,

Bhubaneswar

Whether Ramar Sethu was built by man or god need not be debated. Similarly, it does not matter whether it is manmade or a natural formation. Mythology, history, geography, all play an important role in the life of human beings. Foreign governments are proud of their cultural and geographical heritage and take all possible steps to protect and preserve them.

Stonehenge of the U.K. and the Grand Canyon of the U.S., a natural formation, are cherished as treasures. So whether Ramar Sethu is a mythological creation or natural formation, it is very ancient, unique, and speaks about our heritage. Hence it should be preserved.

N. Girija,

Chennai

According to Emile Durkheim, religion has a functional role (like integration and harmony) to play in all societies. Secularism does not mean sacrificing the aspirations and religious sentiments of the majority for the growth of the nation. It means equal respect for all religions.

If the Sethusamudram project hurts the religious sentiments of a community, going ahead with it will challenge the integrationist role of religion. Development that is secular to some and profane to others will serve no purpose.

Sarath S. Pillai,

Pandalam

From time immemorial, characters mentioned in the Puranic literature have been based on mythology. Age-old customs, beliefs and practices have gone on to strengthen the so-called myths, often surrounded by superstition, forming the basis of what is known as ‘faith.’

Once faith, a fallout of myth, gets strengthened and is accepted by millions, why try to make scientific sense of it?

A. Saratchandran Menon,

Palakkad

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Flood preparedness, a necessity
Improving mental health
123 Agreement and internal laws
123 questions won’t go away — a rejoinder
A replay of the U.S. sub-prime upheaval out of london
Unfair to apply economics to Palestinian hell
The end of Madonna’s trial adoption period
Corrections and clarifications
On vigilantism
Raging controversy

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu