THE ISSUE of Setusamudram has created quite a stir in the Indian political jungle. Why would someone want the proof of Lord Ram’s existence produced before court? Who is this God anyway— A mythological invention or a reality? People need facts and want to challenge existence… times have changed.
Who is God? For some he is the mind, the essence of all individuality. For others he is a myth, a concoction of the mind. Religion is the all inspirational force backing it all. What is this religion? Where did it come from? Who invented it? For millions of people across the globe, it is their faith that has led to the establishment of some of the greatest religions of the world.
First it was Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie that created a sizzle in the religious world, then Da Vinci Code had the Vatican raising eyebrows and now…the Ramsetu issue has religious heads bewildered. Greg Isles, in his best seller, The Footprints of God points out that God is all powerful. God is all good. Evil exists. You can logically reconcile any of those two statements but not all three.
Religious controversies sell, create a debacle, flare communalism and then fade away. What emerges strongest is one’s faith in his belief. In a nation of billions, Lord Ram is a principle deity in every second home. The biggest festival of the year, Diwali, is celebrated to commemorate his victory over Ravana, the evil king of Lanka. The saga is recited over and over again, being passed down from generations. The teachings of the Ramayana form an integral part of our culture— to respect one’s parents and obey them. The family ties in India are known to be strong. Thus, to raise a question on the existence of God is to provoke antagonism in the minds of those who have been thriving on this belief.
Radheykrishan, a pundit from Raghunath Temple in Delhi says, “Religion means everything to the people of India. It is a sin to raise question on the existence of Lord Ram. The sin has been committed by the Congress. Ram is everywhere. He dwells in the hearts and souls of his worshippers. It is insane to declare that he did not exist. These people are asking God to prove whether he is there or not. Why would millions of people pray to him if he was incapable of answering back?”
Culture and Tourism minister, Ambika Soni is in hot water with all fingers pointing in her direction. The issue has created havoc in the Congress itself. The Bhartiya Janta Party is trying to make most of the situation. Religious sentiments have been hurt and this isn’t for the first time that such an instance has occurred in the history of our country.
Kailash Bagga, Project Manager in an MNC says, “Lord Ram is worshipped in almost every household in our country. The political parties have a certain moral duty towards the citizens. One fine day, out of the blue someone says that Ram did not exist. Someone else ends up saying that they can prove this. In doing this, they have shaken the foundations of Hinduism. Why do they forget that Ayodhya exists, so does Lanka? Now it could be possible that evidence was destroyed centuries ago when people were forced to convert to other religions.”
Amid all the chaos, the government has finally said that it will soon approach the Supreme Court to obtain appropriate orders to resume work on Adam’s bridge with a view that the Setusamudram ship canal would be completed at the earliest.
TR Baalu, Shipping Minister says, “The work in the Adam’s Bridge portion of Setusamudram has only been stopped and will be resumed shortly.”
Ram Setu is the legendary bridge that was built by Lord Ram in order to reach Lanka to rescue his wife Sita from the captivity of Ravana. For the country’s economic growth the Setusamudram project is bound to reap benefits. The faith of millions of devotees will remain undeterred but political parties will feast on the injured sentiments and religion inspired hatred.
By Rachel Arora
Source: http://www.merinews.com
Forget yourself for others, and others will never forget you.
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