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| Denying "Ram" puts government in defensive | | | ET Special Correspondent
Jammu | Sep 13
The Union government's submission, through an affidavit, before the Supreme Court that there was no historical proof of the existence of Ram or the other characters in the Ramayana, has further complicated the issue of Sethu Samudram, a navigable sea route linking the eastern and western coasts of the country around the southern tip of the Indian peninsula, which the government going to raise, disregarding the damage and destruction to be caused to the Ram Setu, the bridge which is believed in Hindu mythology as mentioned in Ramayana, to have been constructed on the initiation of Ram, to help reach him Sri Lanka, to rescue Sita who was abducted by Ravan. Instead of going to resolve the controversy, the submission by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), on affidavit before the Supreme Court that the contents of the Valmiki Ramayana, Tulsi Dass Ramchritra Manas and other mythological texts cannot be historical record to prove the existence of the characters mentioned in the same and that Ram Setu is not man made but is a natural formation, has prompted the BJP to charge the UPA government of committing blasphemy and herling insult to the Hindu faith. The BJP and other pro Hindu organizations who made a political capital out of the controversy over construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya, at the place where Babri Masjid is claimed by the Muslims to have been built, has now got a new rallying point to consolidate the Hindu vote bank behind it, which had lately slipped out, as a result of the controversy over Babri Masjid and Ram temple having lost the sting with the passage of time and particularly on account of the BJP's failure to construct the temple, during the tenure of NDA government led by the saffron party. While the good response in the country as a whole to the four hours bandh and Chaka jam call given by Ram Setu Suraksha Samiti and VHP, as well as actively supported by the BJP was hardly expected to give political and electoral dividends to the BJP, particularly at a time when its own house is in disorder and disarray, there is every likelihood that the goof up by the UPA government in the Centre in the Supreme Court, which has the potential to be exploited as an act of blasphemy, hurting Hindu sentiments, can help the BJP to consolidate its position. In the matter of religious faiths any solid proof of the existence of a character or an event hardly needs to be called for if there is no proof of Ram having ever existed and the main events in the Ramayana having actually taking place then why the government declares holidays on Dushera and Deepawali and the President, Prime Minister and other ruling VIPs issue greetings to the people on these occasions, which are connected with Ram. There is also no scientific proof of the existence of God, yet the government never takes recourse to this fact in support of its contention in any matter. The least that can be said about this action of the government is that the same is tactless move to diffuse any controversy. There are many beliefs in all most all the religions which are neither based on scientific facts nor have concrete historical evidence, yet these are never challenged by any government in any country.
Suspense over Qazi further prolongs :
With the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad ordering holding of enquiry into the alleged irregularities in the State Forest Corporation and Forest Department, appointing the Commissioner/Secretary Home, B R kundal as incharge of the enquiry and along with it effecting transfers of some high officers in the department, the fate of the former Forest Minister Qazi Mohammad Afsal appears to have been sealed at least for sometime more. The logical course under the circumstances would be to take any further decision with regard to the resignation of Qazi or restoring to him the forest portfolio, divesting of which had led to the crises in the Azad led coalition government, to wait till the report of the Kundal enquiry committee is submitted to the Chief Minister. It is notwithstanding the speculations galore about resolving the stand off and sponsored reporting by a section of media about Sonia Gandhi having advised, during her four hour visit to Srinagar on Monday last, to restore the forest portfolio to the Qazi. The probe ordered into the alleged irregularities in the forest department, is also expected to have wider terms of reference, to include finding any involvement of Qazi Afsal or even his failure to take right action at the right time to check the wrong goings on in the departments under his ministry.
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