An Emergency Call to Save Ram Sethu

An Emergency Call to Save Ram Sethu

Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (SSCP) will destroy Ram Sethu and turn the Gulf of Mannar into an Ecological disaster.

We are sending out this S.O.S. to you in the hope that we can all come together in body, mind or prayer to help Save Ram Sethu.

The Supreme Court of India is hearing the Sethusamudram (SSCP) case from July 22 to July 29, 2008. The Indian Government headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has filed an affidavit seeking permission to go ahead with the SSCP and submitting that the archaeological survey (ASI) is not important. The Government's turnaround - considering it had earlier suggested that the ASI is imperative – clearly indicates that the Government seems to be in a rush to execute a project that was first conceived not less than 144 years ago!

If the Supreme Court passes this case, the dredging of Ram Sethu is expected to begin right away. There are unconfirmed reports that Ram Sethu might be blasted with dynamite if dredging becomes difficult on the rough sea.

Save Ram Sethu Campaign takes strong exception to a wholly incorrect interpretation - an extreme distortion – of Hindu scriptures by lawyer Fali S. Nariman, who represented the Government of India before the Supreme Court on July 22 and reportedly quoted from "Kamba Ramayana" and "Padmapurana" and said that the destruction of the bridge by Lord Rama is mentioned therein.

Aside from the distastefulness of a lawyer of Mr. Nariman's stature distorting Hindu scriptures in an attempt to obtain favorable orders, Mr. Nariman's reference to Lord Rama as "superman" is blasphemous, scurrilous and an extreme distortion which we find insulting to our Hindu faith. Mr. Nariman should retract his statements and apologize to the Hindus.

Some months ago, the lawyers representing the Government had shocked the entire world by making a submission to the Supreme Court denying the very existence of Lord Rama. Now it has come up with a distorted interpretation from "Kamba Ramayana" and "Padmapurana" to justify the destruction of Ram Sethu for the sake of the SSCP. It seems to escape the Government's attention that historically or otherwise Ram Sethu is associated with Lord Rama and sacred to millions of Hindus in India and abroad.

We must act now to protect our sacred heritage from greedy, mindless destruction. We are imploring you to do the right thing - and the right thing is preserving Ram Sethu for current and future generations. Men with machines can destroy in minutes what can never be replaced. Do we want to be remembered as the people who were able to stop the destruction, or the people who allowed it to proceed?

We are a proud and ancient civilization and we must rise to the occasion against all impossibilities. We must salvage and wrest our rightful and magnificent heritage from the forces of ignorance, arrogance and greed.

When the Taliban destroyed the Bamiyan statues, the world reacted with horror at their act of barbarism. What the Indian Government proposes to do to Ram Sethu is no less barbaric.Â

This threat to our religion is more than real and right on our threshold!

Please act now

We are looking for one million supporters willing to take a stand and not allow a syndicate of politicians and vested interests defile our sacred heritage. Can we count on you? Please call Indian Government representatives, Embassies and High Commissions in your area and register your opposition by phone and fax.

Please forward this to others, especially the youth, and ask them to get involved in protecting our religion.

Let the Indian Government know that destroying our Religious heritage for the profit of a few is unethical and the Government has no right to indiscriminately & selectively destroy it. Ram Sethu is our heritage and our history and we owe its protection and preservation to our future generations. The world is waiting and watching.