The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : On Sethusamudram

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Saturday, May 10, 2008
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Opinion - Letters to the Editor

On Sethusamudram

The Supreme Court’s suggestion to the Centre to explore the possibility of an alternative alignment or any other route for the Sethusamudram Shipping Channel Project without demolishing the Ramar Sethu (May 9) is welcome. It is a positive development for all those who are for protecting the religiously significant, ecologically fragile and strategically sensitive bridge.

The UPA government should appreciate and respect the intention behind the suggestion and take steps to preserve the historic structure.

S. Bijuram,

Palakkad

* * *

An alternative alignment will go a long way in avoiding law and order problems in future. Destruction of the Ramar Sethu will mean keeping another issue — like the Babri Masjid dispute — alive for decades creating differences among various communities, and without arriving at a solution.

Let us hope good sense will prevail and the Centre will resolve the issue without hurting the religious sentiments of many.

J.P. Reddy,

Nalgonda

* * *

The Centre should heed the court’s suggestion and undertake an archaeological survey on whether the Ramar Sethu can be declared a national monument. Already much time has been wasted over unnecessary arguments and, in the process, the religious sentiments of a large number of Hindus who consider the Ramar Sethu a place of worship, have been hurt.

V. Padmanabhan,

Bangalore

* * *

The court deserves praise for its balanced approach to the issue. The Ramar Sethu has been venerated since time immemorial as sacred. The kings of Ramanathapuram have always been addressed as ‘Sethupathi’ and ‘Sethukathan’ (protectors of the Sethu). Till a devastating cyclone destroyed Danushkodi in 1964, many Hindus regularly visited the Ramar Sethu to offer worship. Even today, thousands of pilgrims go to the Sethu to perform religious rites for their ancestors.

L. Rohini,

Tiruchi

* * *

The court’s suggestion to the Centre to find an alternative alignment is unfortunate and disappointing. Stalling a development project in the name of epic heroes — that too after 60 per cent of the work has been completed — is not good for the country. Based on the information supplied by the Geological Survey of India, the Space Application Centre and the NASA satellite images, there does not seem to be any evidence of a man-made structure.

The Centre should not have yielded to the pressure of communal forces and sought three months’ time in the Supreme Court. It should have remained firm on finishing the project on the present alignment.

T. Marx,

Karaikal

* * *

The politicisation of the SSCP has resulted in three very important issues being sidelined. The people who are dependent on the shore for fishing and other related livelihoods will be displaced. The massive and irreversible ecological damage will have long-term ill-effects on the coasts of India and Sri Lanka. And the technical and economic viability of the project has not been established.

Maj. Gen. S.G. Vombatkere (retd.),

Mysore

* * *

There are two important aspects to the Ramar Sethu — religion and economic development. The stress is on the religious aspect. The claims of economic development that the SSCP will bring are not being discussed. Is it because those in favour of the project have their own doubts about its feasibility?

S. Rajagopalan,

Chennai

* * *

The SSCP’s techno-economic feasibility is being increasingly questioned by experts. Concerns over its environmental impact and the country’s security have also been expressed by many. In the light of these and the court’s latest suggestion to the Centre, the government should abandon the project.

Raji Mani,

Mumbai

* * *

The Sethusamudram project was conceived and abandoned by the British because of its non-viability. The Ramar Sethu is continuous. It is impossible to construct a shipping channel without breaching it. There is a deep water route on the Sri Lankan side of the bay with minimal dredging needs. A joint project by both countries would be much more viable.

Capt. O.B. Nair,

Kochi

* * *

There can be no comparison between the Ramar Sethu and the Babri Masjid. There is no religious dispute over the Ramar Sethu. The Sethu is still revered. The Babri Masjid, on the other hand, remained unused since 1936. The government should accept the court’s proposal to explore an alternative alignment for the SSCP without damaging the Ramar Sethu.

B.N. Gangadhar,

Bangalore

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