Campaign to save Ram Setu gains momentum in Himachal

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By: Ajai Srivastava

Shimla: The state may be far away from the Indian Ocean, but the concern to save Ram Setu can be seen gaining momentum in Himachal Pradesh too. Floating stones, especially brought from Rameshwaram, are attracting a large number of people in Shimla and other places in this hill state. They call it Ram Shila and people worship it with full faith. Sri Rameshwaram Ram Setu Raksha Manch, Himachal Pradesh, as a part of its campaign at national level, has been organising shobha yatras in the state these days.

According to Narendra Kumar, state media in-charge of RSS and Balram Sharma, convener of Sri Ram Setu Raksha Manch, “these Ram Shilas were used by Lord Rama and his army to build a bridge to connect Rameshwaram with Sri Lanka.” The stones are brought from a place near Rameshwaram where a good stock of the same still exists. They said that Ram Shilas will be exhibited at nearly 2,000 places in the state, in a week long programme. Havans and shobha yatras are also being organised.

They said, “The destruction of the Ram Setu, which is oldest man made structure on earth, would completely finish the biodiversity and ecological balance in that part of the country. This move can cause disaster at Kerala if tsunami comes in future. It was this structure only that saved Kerala in December, 2004 when tsunami played havoc in many parts of India and neighbouring countries.” According to them, the Setu Samudram Project in its present shape is not good for national security also. They said that the apex court had also stayed the destruction of Setu and the matter is pending in the court.

The leaders informed that a Maha Sammelan is being held in Rohini, in Delhi on December 30, where more than 15 lakh people from all parts of the country are expected to take part. As many as 5,000 people from Himachal Pradesh too are expected to attend the congregation.

Disclaimer: HimVani has no scientific data to authenticate the ecological disturbances mentioned above. The views are of the leaders mentioned. Readers’ discretion is expected.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. The tragedy of literate population of Himachal is wll described by Ajay. It is scentifically proved beyond any doubt that there is nothing called `Ram Setu', but the ploy of RSS and VHP is to distract people from real issues so that the plundering of mineral and natural wealth is continued by the Mafias – this is what they are doing in Orissa (where is Christans have been attacked and thus the struggle of Tribls to save their land from mafias gets no polace on front page of any newspapers). This also attracts our attention to the `kind' of education that is given in the schools – when we were children, we were told that with hihger education people of India shall loose their blind faiths and be more rationale.

    How this has become a myth rather than reality is what Ajai describes. Thanks for this.

    At the same time, I must also confess that `the media' hype around Ram Sheela or Ram Setu is also an indication of how much people in media also carry the same faith (?) and how they make `small crowd' into a big one. In Solan there were hardly 50 people when the RSS brought Ram Setu material, next day I find headlines saying `large crowd' greets Ram setu carvan. The role of media in spreading these kind of messages helps only those who want this country to be backward looking. It seems we all have forgotton the `dirty' game that press played in 1980s which ultimately destroyed the secular fabric of this country on 6th of December 1992 and thousands of people were killed and scores of women raped.

  2. For the elite class these issues are irrational but beliefs are beliefs. It has nothing to do with rationality. Fortunately in Himachal such issues will have negligible impact.

    We all understand the larger national agenda of BJP. These are political compulsions of a democracy where half of the electorates are touched by such issues. It is not as dangerous as the cast and communal divide promoted by the so called secular leaders in the country. If an issue that touches a community constituting more than 80 % population of the country, is raised by anyone he is branded a "sanghee" by the elite class of pseudo secular. They perhaps are the most generous and liberal in the world when adopt new tactics like communal budgeting and cries for post Godhra riots only.

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