Fear of damage to mythological Ram Sethu bridge mired project in legal battle
As Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa called for declaring the “Ram Sethu” in the Palk Straits between Indian and Sri Lanka a “national monument,” Congress president Sonia Gandhi reportedly assured a delegation of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MPs that the government would approach the Supreme Court to revive the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project.
The project, which was started in 2005 by the UPA-I regime, got stuck in a legal battle when some organisations approached the Supreme Court seeking that it be dropped, as the proposed canal might damage the mythological “Ram Sethu” — a link believed to have been built between India and Sri Lanka (during the Ramayan era).
According to DMK parliamentary party leader T.R. Baalu, who led the delegation to meet Ms. Gandhi in Parliament, the latter had told them that the UPA-II government would make efforts to take up the legal issues in the Supreme Court to continue the ship canal project.
The MPs recalled the desire expressed by Ms. Gandhi during the project's foundation-laying function in Madurai on July 2, 2005, that “the project work should be completed within the stipulated timeframe of three years.”
A memorandum submitted by the DMK said any weakened response, on the part of the government, to attempts by reactionary elements to sabotage the project would only expose the betrayal of hope and promise given to the State by its great leaders.
Furthermore, abandoning the Sethu project would lead to a wanton wasting of precious public money and rare national assets created so far after immense efforts made by the UPA in implementing the wishes of the State's people. The delegation wanted the government not to hamper the progress of the project and to take steps to expedite the judicial process.
The delegation also gave a copy of the memorandum to Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V. Narayanasamy, as they could not meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in person.
Keywords: DMK, UPA, Sethusamudram project, Ram Sethu, Sonia assurance
Is it not more sensible to cut through land a canal rather than sea?
Foolishness at its heights. Clearly vested interests of certain leader's
huge family.
Ram Sethu has no value to Sri Lanka. It got to be eliminated for economic activities. Tamils in the north will benefit if we can get rid of this thing. It was not built by anyone. It was created by sand getting accumulated from currents from both sides. Without Sethusamudram Indian ships will have to go round Sri Lanka passing close to Chinese ports and Chinese navy establishments wasting time, money and exposing them to Chinese surveillance that is already happening. What a joke is this!
Please dont call "Ram Sethu" mythological. It is real,a living testament, to millions of patriotic Indians
Adam's bridge aka Ram setu may or may not have been built by Lord Rama
but the truth that I want to reiterate is about the himalayan importance
of the Gulf of Munnar and its marine biodiversity.It is an ecological
hotspot with a large variety of sea anemones, corals, fishes and other
marine life.Development is necessary but not this way by sacrificing the
livelihood of fishermen and an irreparable and dangerous damage to the
environment.It reminds one of an aphorism :"An elephant spraying sludge
over its head after bathing".
Rama Sethu has to protected at any cost. If media has guts, let them expose the politicians involved in swindling money in Sethu samudram project!!
Let Sonia Gandhi and the DMK keep off the Sethu issue.
Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project should be carried out only if it is going to bring economic benefits to TN and India in long term.
Not scuttle it due to imaginary beliefs. These kind of thought process will push us back to stone age.
Previous posts by several people here are without any foreknowledge. Any educated person will decouple the Sethusamuthiram Project with DMK. This Canal Project is must for Tamil Nadu and her prosperity. Please don't give political colour to this issue. All Tamils are united to get this dredging work ongoing and we look forward to see this project to come live in 2014.
Ayodhya has become a cursed land with no possibility of civilian visit. How many of my fellow Tamils want to see such things happen in TN. Be a Moral Citizen of Tamil Nadu and work for her prosperity !
A definite no. It is so surprising how insensitive the DMK can be with regards to the feelings of millions of hindus who hold sethu samudram with a high spiritual significance. Would the DMK have dared to proceed with this project if say other religions were involved?
there are some things which are priceless and Ramsethu is one of them
!business should be kept out of those thing .
the looters are talking of economic development.where was DMK stand then
when whole family was looting the country through 2g spectrum
My only question is why was Sethusamuthram Project not stopped at the very begining? does it mean Hindus wake up only when politicians tell them about Lord Ram? scrapping this project for religious reasons will one day lead to obtaining sanctions from religious heads for building other projects. Faith in God is totally different from falling prey to politicians games.
The DMK should not waste his energy and clout with the UPA-II vainly fighting for Sethusamudram Project.It will not come.Instead the DMK should utilise their strength to bring peace and salvation to the Tamils in Sri Lanka. The DMK will be relevant only till 2014 for the Centre and the Congress. With in this period,the DMK should achieve substantially for the Sri lankan Tamils,lest, there wont be any seat for them in the Parliament beyond 2014.They should work wisely for their survival beyond 2014.
In what way is economic development of Southern districts o TN dependent
on Sethusamudram project? It is further economic development of some select families who have been looting the exchequer in the name of
development. The DMK could have included the project in its
Sankarankovil bye-election agenda. Let the party remember that days of
armtwisting the UPA govt.are over.Leave Sethu as it is.
If Sethusamudram project is not implemented, the growth of Tamil
Nadu will be blocked. If Koodankulam Nuclear Plant is growth
oriented, Sethusamudram project also is a growth oriented
project. The Jeyalalitha govt. gave green signal to commission
Koodankulam Nuclear Plant which will cause many diseases even
with normal functioning due to radiation in the long run; if any
disaster happens the destruction will be severe. In Japan 53 out
of 54 Nuclear Reactors were closed and they have decided not to
go for nuclear energy for power. Sethusamudram project will not
cause any deadly diseases; will not cause any destruction to the
mankind; but it will generate huge economic growth in Tamil
Nadu.Moreover half of the work was completed already and a huge
sum was invested already in the project. But the present TN
regime wants to block the Sethusamudram project. We don't
understand the ideology of the TN regime.
DMK will try to outdo Mamata .
The Govt must leave the matter to the wisdom of the Supreme Court
No political leader is vests of peoples of welfare through development. Its DMK's attempt to protect investors in the project. If DMK is really interested in the people welfare, then they can do many things like disclosing DMK's family's wealth made out of public wealth. Ramasethu is the one of the evidence to prove Ramayana our history and culture. It should not be destroyed.
DMK is worried that its deals may get exposed and hence threat . Why same threat not given for Raja who is toiling in for a year Is it to torment a Dalit Minister Where is the philosophy Whole world knows that this is money making racket with no use to any body and Simultaneously to hit sentiments of Hindus If it is public opinion why in the recent bye elections they could not even get back their deposits.
Tamil nadu CM Ms Jayalalita is right in demanding National Monument status for Ram setu. Any person having regard for cultural heritage of the country will do the same. People obsessed by alien culture may not appreciate this, but all people of Hindu culture will not accept anything less .
DMK party will suffer huge defeat again if Ram sethu is destroyed. Don't take hindus lightly. The economic benefit reaped out of sethu project will be only for DMK family.
Vision 2023 on the one hand, and a letter to the PM asking to scuttle the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal project on the other will only help the CM to serve the people of Tamil Nadu a lingering doubt in their minds; is it horse before cart or a cart before horse?
@ any cost NO.... the people of tamil nadu never demanded such a project...it is the DMK themselves who have initiated this project for looting this country's wealth.... Ram Sethu should be announced as a national monument....
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