WHY RAM SETU MUST BE SAVED???

Sethusamudram, a project to create alternative shorter route for ships to cross the Gulf of Mannar, is a wonderful idea
-- one which is more than 150 years old. The channel, ori inally an idea of a !ritish commander named " # Taylor was put forth in 1$%0. &n 1'55, the Government of &ndia set up the Sethusamudram project committee to loo( into the feasi)ility of the project and five routes were discussed till *001 )ut nothin happened. The +ational #emocratic "lliance overnment sanctioned a few crore rupees to study the project )ut )efore a final decision on the route could )e ta(en, the overnment lost power. The official we) site of the project says, ,Ships ori inatin from the west of &ndia and destined for -hennai, .nnore, /isha(apatnam, 0aradeep, 1aldia and 2ol(ata have to travel around the Sri 3an(an coast resultin in increase of travel distance and time. "part from this ships )elon in to &ndian +avy and -oast Guard need also to traverse around Sri 3an(a. &n order to reduce the steamin distances )etween the east and west coast of &ndia and to improve the navi ation within territorial waters of &ndia, a navi ation channel connectin the Gulf of Mannar and 0al( !ay throu h "dam,s !rid e has )een envisa ed so that the ships movin )etween the east and west coasts of &ndia need not o around Sri 3an(a., The total cost of the project is 4s *,5*6 crores 74s *5.*6 )illion8. !ut due to political e9pediency and a pathetic pro)lem of a ,secular amnesia, a)out herita e matters, it has ot a controversial hue, which could have )een avoided if some transparency was maintained and points of collective sensitivities and faith were not i nored. The project is fine, )ut the present route is not, as it involves destruction of a )rid e )elieved to have )een )uilt )y 3ord 4ama and Muslims and -hristians )elieve it to )e "dam,s creation. :orei ners and &ndians ali(e have descri)ed it as 4ama,s )rid e since ancient times in their maps and travelo ues. The first time someone called it "dam,s !rid e was in 1$05 )y ;ames 4ennell, the first surveyor eneral of the .ast &ndia -ompany. .ven if the Government of &ndia prefers to use the name "dam,s !rid e, it simply proves that not only 1indus )ut Muslims and -hristians too have a reverence for the )rid e it is oin to destroy. +ow when the media and political leaders are )usy with the <ttar 0radesh election and e9it polls, the Sethusamudram dred ers are )usy destroyin a reat world herita e site &ndia has. The 4am Setu or "dam,s !rid e connects &ndia,s 4ameshwaram to Sri 3an(a,s Talaimannar. " movement has )e un to safe uard it at the shores of 4ameshwaram on "pril 1$. Two former jud es of the Supreme -ourt, ;ustice 2 T Thomas and ;ustice / 4 2rishna &yer, none of them close to the saffron side, have warned the overnment a ainst destroyin the 4am Setu. &t is ironical that a overnment which chan es the metro rail route to protect the =utu) Minar, )uilt with the material of destroyed temples, stops a corridor to protect the Taj Mahal,s surroundin s and spends crores of rupees to showcase ancient potteries and jewellery in heavily uarded museums, is destroyin a uni>ue sym)ol of national identity and an icon well preserved in our minds since a es. .ven a child (nows that a )rid e was )uilt )y the friends of 3ord 4ama usin floatin stones and 4ama,s army marched over it to 3an(a to rescue Sita and destroy the evil re ime of 4avana. 1ence durin #ussehra every year and in dance dramas depictin 4ama,s life enacted across the lo)e, specially in .ast "sia, they never ever fail to mention the Setu !andhan or the construction of 4ama,s )rid e. "part from the 4amayana, the Maha)harata also refers to the continued protection of +ala Setu followin Sri 4ama,s command. 2alidasa,s Raghuvamsham also refers to the Setu. So does the S(anda 0urana 7&&& 1.*.1-1158, the /ishnu 0urana 7&/ 5.50-5'8, the " ni 0urana 7/-?&8, the !rahma 0urana 71@$.1-508. That is the memory so )eautifully adopted )y the Geolo ical Survey of &ndia in its lo o, which descri)es &ndia in this line etched at the )ottom of its insi nia -- Aasetu Himachal, meanin &ndia is spread )etween the !rid e and the 1imalayas. That is the 4am Setu !rid e on the southern tip of our motherland, an identity of the nation, under destruction now. The credit of di in up material re ardin the 4am Setu and providin impecca)le factual content oes to 2alyan 4aman, a former senior e9ecutive of the "sian #evelopment !an(. 1e astounded even the overnment with his material on the entire project. 1is findin s have stirred up protests from the 4ashtriya Swayamseva( San h, the /ishwa 1indu 0arishad, the !haratiya ;anata 0arty and the 1indu #harma "charya Sa)ha. "sho( Sin hal of the /10 is spearheadin a movement to protect the 4am Setu. 1e addressed a )i pu)lic meetin in 4ameshwaram with reli ious heads and #r Su)ramanian Swamy. !;0 leader and former <nion human resources development minister #r Murli Manohar ;oshi has written to the prime minister, ur in him to stop the destruction of the reat herita e site.

The overnment, very ,secular and fair, indeed, tries not to remem)er or ive any credence to what 1indus, Muslims and -hristians )elieve, !ut this is what +"S" says a)out the )rid e, ,.9plorin space with a camera )y +"S",s A1'@B Gemini ?&, this photo raph from an altitude of 510 miles encompasses all of &ndia, an area of 1,*50 000 s>uare miles,, Geor e M 3ow, then the deputy director, Manned Spacecraft -enter, +"S", notes. ,!om)ay is on the west coast, directly left of the spacecraft,s can-shaped antenna, +ew #elhi is just )elow the horiCon near the upper left. "dam,s !rid e )etween &ndia and -eylon, at the ri ht, is clearly visi)le..., De can see the picture dramatically resem)les the description iven in 2alidasa,s Raghuvamsham. 2alidasa wrote, 7sar a 1@8E ,4ama, while returnin from Sri 3an(a in 0ushpa(a /imaana told SitaE F!ehold, Sita, My Setu of mountains dividin this frothy ocean is li(e the mil(y way dividin the s(y into two partsF., The .ncyclopedia !ritannica descri)es the )rid e thus, ,"dam,s !rid e also called 4ama,s !rid e, chain of shoals, )etween the islands of Mannar, near northwestern Sri 3an(a, and 4ameswaram, off the southeastern coast of &ndia., "part from such issues of herita e and )elief, there are enuine concerns re ardin security and the tsunamis, impact increasin in case the 4am Setu is destroyed. &f the new channel is created throu h the present 4ama,s )rid e, international ships would pass throu h it ma(in a de facto international )oundary )etween &ndia and Sri 3an(a, facilitatin an increased alien presence, )urdenin our navy to a reat e9tent. So far the sea )etween &ndia and Sri 3an(a has )een reco nised as historic waters, thou h the <nited States has )een pressurisin to have it declared as international waters and said in a naval notification in *005 that it does not accept the sea )etween &ndia and Sri 3an(a as ,historic,. The <S declaration and the role of the Tuticorin 0ort Trust, the nodal a ency to implement the Sethu Samudram -anal 0roject coupled with the haste with which the project was inau urated, has iven rise to many unanswered >uestions. The <S +avy operational directive refusin to accept the sea )etween &ndia and Sri 3an(a as ,historic, was made on ;une *@, *005. The 0rime Minister,s Gffice sent some >ueries in March *005 to + 2 4a hupathy, chief of the Tuticorin 0ort Trust. 1e sent answers to the 0MG,s >ueries on ;une @0, *005 and 0rime Minister Manmohan Sin h with <nited 0ro ressive "lliance -hairperson Sonia Gandhi inau urated the project on ;uly *, *005. Dhy were the >ueries sent to the T0T and not to an a ency which had scientific authority to loo( into the eolo ical and maritime aspects of the projectH Dhy did the prime minister and the <0" chairperson rush to inau urate the project without, prima facie, havin the time to loo( into the answers iven )y the T0T chiefH Dhy was the present route o(ayed which essentially re>uires the destruction of the 4am Setu, while other options, closer to #hanush(odi, which did not touch the 4am Setu were i noredH 3ocal fishermen, 1indus, Muslims and -hristians ali(e oppose the present route and are demandin alternative channels, which are availa)le. They say the present channel would destroy marine life and corals. This will (ill the trade in shankas 7shells8 that has a turnover in e9cess of 4s 150 crore 74s 1.5 )illion8 per annum. &nvalua)le thorium deposits would )e affected, which are too important for our nuclear fuel re>uirements. 0rofessor Tad Murthy, the world renowned tsunami e9pert, who advised the Government of &ndia on the tsunami warnin system and edited the Tsunami Journal for over *0 years, has also warned that the present Setu Samudram route may result in tsunami waves hittin 2erala more fiercely. &n a reply to a >uery re ardin the Sethusanmudram,s impact, he wrote, ,#urin the &ndian Gcean tsunami of #ecem)er *%, *005, the southern part of 2erala was enerally spared from a major tsunami, mainly )ecause the tsunami waves from Sumatra re ion travellin south of the Sri 3an(an island, partially diffracted northward and affected the central part of the 2erala coast. Since the tsunami is a lon ravity wave 7similar to tides and storm sur es8 durin the diffraction process, the rather wide turn it has to ta(e spared the south 2erala coast. Gn the other hand, deepenin the Sethu -anal mi ht provide a more direct route for the tsunami and this could impact south 2erala., The issue concerns us all, and should )e ta(en up as &ndians, without ettin entan led in party lines and political ames. The 4am Setu or "dam,s !rid e )elon s to all humanity, )ein an important herita e siteI hence the overnment should not allow it to )ecome another issue affectin 1indu sensitivities. +o)ody is opposin the Sethu Samudram 0roject, only a reali nment of the route is )ein as(ed, as the present one destroys the 4am Setu.

SAVE RAM SETU

What is Setu (Sethu) Samudram Project?

Setu 7Sethu8 Samudram shippin canal project 7SS-08 is a project that has )een approved )y the Government of &ndia and its wor( has )een started near 2odand 4am Temple. &n this project, 0al( Gulf and Gulf Mennar will )e lin(ed )y ma(in a shippin canal throu h 4ameshwaram &sland. This will allow ships and )oats to navi ate in the passa e )etween &ndia and Sri 3an(a without havin to circle Sri 3an(a 7as is )ein done currently8. This may save a)out 500 nautical miles voya e on the Dest -oast. This project will connect the +ational Sea 4oute. This canal will shorten the len th of the sea route for ships. 4s. *1 crore per year for fuel e9penditure of ships will )e saved.

Danger to Ram Setu (Sethu)

0ictures ta(en )y +"S" A+ational "eronautics J Space "dministrationB, <S" from space show the remains of what appears to )e an a es old man-made )rid e )etween 4ameshwaram and Sri 3an(a. "ccordin to 1indu scriptures and )elief, 3ord 4am and his vaanar sena had )uilt a )rid e from 4ameshwaram to Sri 3an(a a)out 16 lacs *5 thousands years a o. The discovery of Shri 4am Setu )y +"S" confirms that 1indu scriptures and )elief are correct in this matter and that 4amayana is ,history, and not Fmytholo yF as is often construed. Setu (Sethu) Samudram [shipping canal project] is based on the notion that it is inevitable to break the Shri Ram Setu or eas! navigation" #his $ill amount to damaging a monument o both% historical and religious importanceto &indus"

Wh! Ram Setu (Sethu) should not be damaged

4am Setu 7Sethu8 prevented the tsunami from advancin from 4ameshwaram to 2erala.

Spiritual Signi icance

1. This is a divine )rid e.

2.

3ord 4ama and his vaanar sena had )uilt it 16 lacs *5 thousands years a o.

@. &n 0uranas, the importance of Setu is e9plained in reat details, especially in S(anda 0urana, /ishnu 0urana, " ni 0urana, and !rahma 0urana.

Ph!sical Signi icance

1.

Ram Setu (Sethu) a natural barrier to #sunami' #urin the last tsunami, the 4amar !rid e 7at a hi h elevation8 from the rest of the shoal accumulations acted as a natural )arrier preventin the direct devastation of the entire !haratam

coastline south and southwest of +a apattanam. - #r. Murthy, -hief editor of the reputed &nternational Tsunami ;ournal FScience of Tsunami 1aCardsF

2.

#hreat o #sunami' Many

eolo ists, earth scientists, and oceano raphers have commented critically, a ainst the

disastrous conse>uences of constructin SS-0. "mon st these is the impendin devastation of 2erala, which will suc( in after implementation of SS-0, after ne9t Tsunami hits it. @. Many +aval officials are sayin that even after the completion of SS-0, the depth of the canal shall )e only 1* meters 7a)out @% feet 8, and only small and medium siCed vessels shall )e a)le to pass. 3ar e siCed vessels and carriers shall not )e a)le to pass.

Social Signi icance

1. The construction of SS-0 is tramplin upon the feelin s and emotions of millions and millions of 1indus. *. !esides, this )rid e is world,s oldest man-made structure. &t is much much older than the pyramids of . ypt, and the Great Dall of -hina.

@. 4am Setu has sentimental, reli ious and historic value. 5. 0eople have crossed the sea usin the 4ama-Setu, for many thousand years, until the 15th century.

(etter alternative solutions are also available )

"ccordin to the specialists, a sea route may )e prepared for navi ation without dama in Sri 4am Setu, )y removin the )arren sand heaps near villa e Mandapam )etween 4ameshwaram and #hanush(oti railway. This will not only ive a shorter route for navi ation )ut also protect the oldest man-made herita e.

*uestions to +overnment
1. Dhy was the route of Metro passin ,close, =utu) Minar in +ew #elhi was a)andoned and later rewor(ed fearin

prospective dama es to this $15 years man made monumentH *. Dhy the project of Taj corridor 7which would have made lot of dollars to our money minded ovt8 was put off after the hue and cry of environmentalists as the construction near Taj ,may, cause )ad effect on this @5' years old man made monument. 0lease ive attention here that these monuments were not dama ed. @. Dill any overnment in -hina would destroy or even alter The reat wall of -hina7*%'5 years old8 for the sa(e of any amount of moneyH 5. Dill any one allow pullin down 5506 years old 0yramids of . ypt in lieu of any uncounta)le amount of moneyH &f the answer is +G, then why this 16,*5,000 years old man made monument is )ein destroyed for the sa(e of some coinsH oin to )e destroyed )ut were ,feared, to et

,ther -oticeable .vents

/n attempt to o end &indus
The drill, which is )ein used to demolish the )rid e, is named ,;ai 1anuman,K Thus, as declared )y the hermita e, this is a direct attempt to humiliate 1indus. Two such machines ta(en there have )ro(en down. The overnment should ta(e a lesson or two from this, says the hermita e.

Shankarachar!as 0nite to Save Ram Setu

Shan(aracharyas, of all four peeths decided to unite in a )id to save 3ord 4ama,s 16LM la(h year old )rid e. "ll Shan(aracharya hermita es are ma(in efforts to save 3ord 4ama,s )rid e.

Sethusamudram shipping canal project

In 2001, the Government of India approved a multi-million dollar Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project that aims to create a ship channel across the Pal Strait !" dredging the shallo# ocean floor near $hanush odi. %he channel is e&pected to cut over '00 m (nearl" )0 hours of shipping time* off the vo"age around the island of Sri +an a. Political parties including the ,-P, .I.$/0, 1-$, -$(S* and some 2indu organi3ations oppose dredging through the shoal on religious grounds 4 1ama5s ,ridge is popularl" identified as a cause#a" descri!ed in the 1ama"ana 4 and suggest using an alternate alignment for the channel that avoids damage to .dam5s ,ridge.61786198 %he state and central government have opposed such changes, #ith :nion Shipping /inister % 1 ,aalu sa"ing the current proposal #as #ell scrutinised for economic via!ilit" and environmental sustaina!ilit" and that there #ere no other environmentall" feasi!le alternatives.620862186228

;pposition to the project also stems from concerns over its impact on the area5s ecolog" and marine #ealth, potential loss of thorium deposits in the area, and increased ris of damage due to tsunamis.62)8 Calls for a different alignment of the channel, avoiding <1ama5s ,ridge<, conflict #ith the concern for minimal environmental impact, since such a re-alignment #ould endanger the coral reefs and marine life in the Gulf of /annar, and conse=uentl" also the livelihood of local fishermen.62'8