By Dr S. Kalyanraman
The latest affidavit denying Rama Setu may mark
the beginning of the end of the UPA government temporarily ruling over Union of India.
Union of India may have just lost its right to govern
since Setu is the very embodiment of national unity and integrity,
the very quintessence of
UPA may stay in sattaa by horse-trading MPs' votes,
it cannot clam the right to govern by denying the very identity of Hindu rashtram –
a nation with over 83% Hindus.
In Sri Rama's time all were Hindus,
some of them may be present day practitioners of Islam or Christian faiths,
but their ancestors were Hindus who take the sankalpa saying,
Sri Rama Rameti, vyapohati nasams'ayah and
go on to define their locus in space and time from the kalpas...
The very aatman of
and Setubandha. Remember,
Kings Pravarasena and King Damodara Sena wrote
Prakrit kavyas titled Setubandha kaavya in 5th and 6th centuries.
Narimaan, to note. (I hope someone will forward this note to this learned counsel).
I do not know if it is the cleverness of Narimaan or
the political obduracy of Sonia Gandhi determined to destroy Rama Setu,
it is ridiculous to read about the arguments being advanced.
Narimaan might have just contributed to the repeat of a situation
which led to the Union of India withdrawing its sworn affidavit.
Narimaan, CJ of Madras HC asked the first question:
what is the meaning of 'setu'?
Abhidaana kos'am, a Tamil encyclopaedia defined setu
as 'man-made bund.'
Do you know that the word,
bandha as in setubandha,
setubandha rameshwaram is the root for the English word 'bund'
which means a man-made embankment?
It is unfortunate that learned counsels quibble
without attempting to read the orignal texts.
If Sri Rama has broken the Setu, so be it.
It is just an admission that the setu existed, it exists.
No human power has any authority to meddle with this divine Setu.
Citizens of
Governments under Art. 25 and 26 to meddle with issues
divine or with matters of faith –
as argued earlier by Soli Sorabjee, Parasaran,
KK Venugopal, Vaidyanathan and Dr. Subramanian Swamy.
Suggestio falsi, suppressio veri seems to be Narimaan's game plan.
He cites Kamba Ramayana out of context and fails to refer to the evidences
provided by Skanda Purana, Kalidasa's Raghuvams'a,
Mahabharata, apart from Valmiki Ramayana,
Sangam literature texts like Akananooru,
and even the 19th century verse of Pamban Swamigal.
He also fails to acknowledge the references
cited in Madras HC judgemennt of
citing cartographic (maps), Marco Polo,
Al Beruni, Royal Asiatic Researc papers,
epigraphs of Rameshwaram temple,
epigraphs on Velanjeri copper plate of Parantaka Chola
referring to the Setu and the fact that
it functioned as a causeway for people to cross
between Talaimannar of Srilanka to Rameshwaram of
Narimaan also ignores the puja vidhanam mentioned in Skanda Purana;
he does not have to teach the faithful on modes of prayer at Dhanushkodi.
That the Rama Setu is supported by an enormous body of living tradition
(as evidenced by the affidavits from Rameshwaram temple,
Rameshwaram fisherfolk,
apart from volumes of documentation submitted to the Court),
cannot be wished away by anecdotal references taken out of context.
What Kamban reports is a continual phenomenon of breaches to the Rama Setu
as was the epigraph in Rameshwaram temple reporting breaches at three places
during the 1480 cyclone
(clearly demonstrating that until that year,
the Rama Setu served as a bridge used by pilgrims
to go across from Rameshwaram Shiva temple to
confirmed by Pamban Swamigal that there is a third shivalingam
installed on the Rama Setu itself.
It is the responsibility of marine archaeology wing of
Archaeological Survey of India to find tis shivalingam
and associated mandiram on the Setu.
Affidavits have also been filed showing that earlier generation pilgrims
used to go this Setu Shivamandiram praying for children
and fulfilling their sankalpa venerating their ancestors.
This together with Gangasagar are the places
where during the month of Ashadha amavasya offerings are made
to the pitru-s, ancestors by offering sankalpam and tarpanam.
Every year about 5 lakh pilgrims go on ashadha amavasya day to Rama Setu.
This living tradition cannot be wished away by hypocritical,
twisted references by the learned counsel of the Union of India.
This Setu is a matter of fait not only for Hindus but also for Christians,
Buddhists and Muslims.
A Muslim family has given an affidavit that
they celebrate marriages in their families singing the glory of Sri Rama
remembering that their ancestors came from Ayodhya.
A rejection of this tradition and faith is a clear violation of Section 295 of IPC,
a note which was also underscored in the Madras High Court judgment.
Vinaas'akaale vipareeta buddhih.
Evil minds in times of destruction.
These are the swan songs of an atheist supported government
and learned counsels who indulge in casuistry
in a pathetic show of juristic gimmickry.
Shame on some counsels who cannot see their responsibility
to sustain the identity of the nation,
the integrity and security of the nation's coastline and
act like pied-pipers to a governance governed by evil.
We are continuing to use dharmic means through the justice system
with the full confidence that the courts will not be parties to illegalities—
illegalities of national laws, illegalities violating international covenants,
illegalities dismissng the concerns of neighbouring states and
illegalities violating the Law of the Sea and
international laws and norms of behaviour.
Protection of Rama Setu is not a one issue concern of Hindus' faith.
Protection of Rama Setu is protection of nation's identity,
integrity and unity.
A court is expected to uphold dharma and these national imperatives,
transcending narrow interpretations of jurisdictions and boundaries
between state responsibilities and responsibilities of the justice system.
If the fence eats away the field, who will protect the crop?
Madras HC judgement has clearly recognized that Rama Setu
is an undeniable fact in tradition and faith.
The faith concerns millions of Hindus
who venerate Sri Rama under whose command the Setu was constructed
to protect dharma and to win over a-dharma.
Veda Vyasa states this categorically.
ramas'yaajnaam puraskritya dhaaryate girisannibhaah
(Trans. It is Rama's command to protect this Setu, famed as Nala Setu...)
Rama's command is divine order and is inviolate.
Denying Rama and Rama Setu is blasphemy and
denial of the very rashtram, the nation.
Narimaan should do well to read the 8000 pages of evidence
in 160 volumes made available during court deliberations
instead of relying upon suppressio veri, suggestio falsi tactics,
thinking that points can be scored on points of law.
Sure, law is an ass but don't allow the case
to hurt the sentiments of millions of believers just to benefit a few,
however high and might.
It is a sad day when counsels forget their larger responsibilities to the nation.
The call of duty cannot become a wrestling bout on technical points of law
but grounded on national interest.
The national interest does not lie in creating a white elephant
with the prospect of incurring Rs. 1000 crore loss per annum
in perpetuity just to benefit a few dredging contractors and mariners
owning small ships.
It is the responsibility of jurists to explore the real development opportunities
to enssure abhyudayam of coastal people and
not an unmaintainable mid-ocean channel passage –
a unique experiment, untested experiment in human history –
without answering the question: for whose benefit is the benefit contemplated?
Evidence is there.
It is for the justice system to render justice,
with fairness, equity and compassion.
There is enough expertise in the country of
archaeologists, geologists and oceanographers
(as in National Institute of Oceanography, Geological Survey of
who can be commissioned to objectively find scientifically viable solution
to the project disaster including options such as Marine Economic Zone,
rail-road-container-port coordination.
If there is a political will, there is a way.
If the political will is skewed and motivated,
the citizens will have to reconsider the covenant
they established when they gave themselves a Constitution,
constraining the powers of the executive and the judiciary
and setting up checks and balances to ensure
that the development projects do not violate the rule of law.
