Author: Editorial
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: July 25, 2008
Congress back to Hindu-bashing
Soon after winning the trust vote the UPA
Government seems to be in a hurry to reward those who voted in its favour.
Nothing else can explain the remarkable absurdity of the latest stand of the
Government in the case of the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project, at present
before the Supreme Court, other than an attempt to please ally DMK. This time
the Government's counsel has taken the plea that the Government was not destroying
the bridge as there was no bridge. The argument is that there was no man-made
structure but a superman-made structure that was broken by Sri Rama himself.
The convulsions the Government's arguments have taken in this case and the
corner it has painted itself into would be exceedingly funny were it not that
the faith of millions, as well as the highest court in the land, was involved.
In its keenness to pander to crass commercial interests the Government seems
quite willing to take everybody for a ride. Several months ago the Government
had shocked the country by denying the very existence of Lord Ram in its petition
before the Supreme Court. Now it has come up with another loose interpretation
of Indian scriptures, derived from a lesser known work, to justify the demolition
of the Ram Setu. It seems to escape the Government that the historicity or
otherwise of the events that have the Ram Setu as their centre has little
to do with the issue. The Ram Setu is associated in the minds of millions
of people in the country with Lord Ram. They believe the site to be sacred
and their feelings would be hurt were it to be damaged.
It is not that people who have been vocal about this issue have been inflexible.
An alternative alignment of Sethusamudram Shipping Canal will preserve the
Ram Setu while allowing the project to go through. This is in spite of the
fact that many experts have deep reservations about the project. Over many
months it has emerged that the project may not be commercially viable in the
long run as larger modern ships will in any case have to continue to stick
to the longer old routes. Serious doubts have been expressed over the ecological
impact of the canal that will stress not just life in the sea but also human
populations in coastal regions by altering climate patterns and opening the
way for tropical storms and tsunamis. The issue requires more debate before
the project is cleared. Yet the Government is bent upon railroading it, ramming
it down the throats of an unwilling population just to please vested interests.
It continues to completely ignore the sensitivities involved. Now that it
has won the confidence vote, it feels it can go ahead. Yet there will be a
price to pay. The Government's unholy agenda will be undone, as indeed, shall
this Government.
