Face The Nation: Myth, legends and non-issues

Did Lord Ram exist and did he build a bridge to Sri Lanka or not? The Government says Lord Ram and his bridge are a myth.
Traffic was held up across several North Indian cities on Wednesday as the VHP protested against the planned Sethusamudram Shipping Canal project in Tamil Nadu.
The Sangh Parivar says this project will destroy the sacred `Ramar Setu' or mythological bridge apparently built by Lord Ram and his vanar sena. However, there were no protests in any of the southern states.
But the government said there is no historical evidence that Lord Ram existed or that he built the Ram Setu. Pure blasphemy responds the Sangh Parivar. Ram existed and he built the Ram Setu with his vanar sena.
Building the Sethusamudram shipping canal project on the Tamil Nadu coast is nothing short of an insult to the Hindu faith. Today, the VHP held protests against the Sethusamudram shipping project across north Indian cities, from Chandigarh to Indore - traffic was brought to a halt.
The Centre on Monday asserted in the Supreme Court that Adam's Bridge 'Ramar Sethu' was not man made but a natural formation comprising a chain of seven shoals between India and Sri Lanka and is approximately 30 km long.
On August 31, the court restrained the Centre from causing any damage to 'Ramar Sethu' and asked it to file its reply to Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy's petition.
The Centre said his assertion that the respondents were drilling holes at the alleged 'Ramar Sethu' for planting explosives with a view to demolishing the structure was "entirely false and completely misleading.
In a substantial part of Adam's Bridge, the activity pertaining to the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project is dredging of sand from the natural seabed to increase the depth by a few metres
The said activity cannot under any circumstance and by any stretch of imagination be construed as an act of demolishing of the entire Adam's Bridge.
Should issues like Ram Setu affect Government policy?
Senior journalist Saeed Naqvi, AR Venkatachalapathy Professor of History, Madras Institute of Development Studies and B P Singhal, Former MP, BJP debated the issue on Face The Nation with Sagarika Ghose.
The initial result of the poll suggested that 78 per cent of the people said yes issues like Ram Setu do affect Government policy while only 22 per cent people denied saying no.
In the name of religion
Project like Sethusamudram and Ship Canal project will be an innumerous economic and industrial boost to Tamil Nadu, why should BJP hold that up in the name of religion? Does it bother the party that no one in Tamil Nadu is supporting the struggle?
Strongly arguing the fact that the project will boost economic growth, Singhal said, “Who said that it is going to have innumerous economic benefit? It’s only from the west coast to east coast. And it does not bother us if anybody supporting us or not in Tamil Nadu because Tamil Nadu is headed by a chief minister who does not believe in any God or religious faith.”
What was the need of the Government to go to the court and declare that Ram is a myth or Ram Setu is a myth? Ram, whatever the historical prove may be, is also a focus of public faith.
Advocating the Government’s move, Natarajan said, “The fact of the matter is it was the NDA the BJP prime minister and government that first cleared this project with the same alignment. I think it’s the height of political hypocrisy for Singhal’s party to now question it just because the UPA Government is in power.”
When there is a shrine, which is accepted as a sacred monument by some sections of the community, should development efforts protect those monuments?
Naqvi said, “In a country like India we should not hurt any body’s faith. If somebody’s faith is involved I don’t think we should but between faith and blind belief there is a difference.”
Faith, blind belief or reality
Strongly reacting to Naqvi’s statement, Singhal said, “What is andhaviswas (blind belief). A viswas is viswas. We believe that there was Ram and there is Ram even today in everybody’s heart. The first chief of the ASI named this Ram Setu as Ramar Setu in 1788. In 1804 it was named as Adam's Bridge.”
Is it time that historians actually establish whether this is in fact something built by a character Ram of Ramayan or whether it is in fact the natural formation which is not man made.
“There is a fundamental confusion about faith in a God and in believing that certain structures have been built by a God. It’s impossible to argue with faith. There was no such response from the south during this VHP action and it shows that the faith is not shared across this country. So this is a new tradition that this Hinduvta forces are trying to create,” Venkatachalapathy said.
Ram Setu another Babri Masjid?
BJP is trying to gain milestone out of this issue. It is trying to divide South in the name of Ram. Is Ram Setu becoming another Babri Masjid?
“I hope the BJP know what they are playing with. In south India the entire Dravida movement came an unfortunate anti-Rama platform. BJP is creating divide in the South,” Naqvi answered.
There is national security at risk with this project, there is economic risk, there is environmental risk, why doesn’t BJP make these arguments why it is making religious argument?
Singhal replied, “Apart from scientific and security angle it has religious angle too.”
When the Government comes out and says this is a myth, there is no archeological evidence and there is no scientific proof, don’t you think that a Government must be little more sensitive to the faith and worship of people.
Clarifying what the Government is trying to say about the Setu, Naqvi said, “The Government has not said that the Ram does not exist, they didn’t say that Ram is not part of mythology or they did not say that Ram is not part of our culture but they said there is no archeological evidence to say that there was any Setu.”
Is Ram still a potent force in South?
In Tamil Nadu Ram has great importance as a literary figure because of the great Tamil epic. But there is hardly any temple for Ram in Tamil Nadu. There is a general belief that worshiping Ram will only bring sorrow and bad luck, Venkatachalapathy said.
When development works are embarked upon is it not part of the government to take in to consideration the feelings of the people and re-assure them that whatever they hold sacred will not be damaged or the Government will try to preserve.
Natarajan said, ”I have absolutely no doubt at all that the Government will take into consideration the genuine feelings of the people who are genuinely affected. Certainly that does not apply to the BJP or demonstrations, which was a flop show.”