09-14-2007, 03:35 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Lord Ram prevails </b>
The Pioneer Edit Desk
Scared Congress scurries for cover
It is stunningly absurd that the UPA Government should have submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court claiming Lord Ram did not exist and the sacred texts, notably Valmiki's Ramayan and Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, associated with an icon deeply revered by millions of Hindus in India and abroad and who, in many ways, is central to the Hindu ethos of dharma, lack historical basis. To slyly suggest, as the Congress's apologists have done 24 hours later, that the affidavit was filed by the Archaeological Survey of India without the clearance of the Union Law Ministry and, therefore, the Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleagues are not to be blamed for the shocking assertion which pours ridicule on the faith of Hindus, is disingenuous. The ASI's affidavit is in response to a specific query by the Supreme Court about the antiquity of what many Hindus believe is 'Ram Setu' -- the bridge built by Hanuman and his vaanar sena for Lord Ram to cross the sea and reach Lanka to rescue Sita -- which faces destruction on account of the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project. The ASI would have been perfectly justified to state in its affidavit that it does not have any scientific evidence about the structure's antiquity, but it chose to go beyond its brief and cast serious aspersion on the belief of vast sections of Hindus. Such transgression -- as anybody aware of how bureaucracy responds to sensitive issues would aver -- which amounts to making a political statement, would not have occurred had there been no political directive. Perhaps those behind this attempt to negate India's cultural heritage and civilisational identity had not expected there would be a tidal wave of angry response, but this only shows the ineptness of those in power who believe their crudity will go unnoticed by Hindus and yet fetch them the votes of Muslims.
<b>The BJP has done the right thing by exposing the sinister motive of the Congress and Mr LK Advani's trenchant comment, that the "Congress's pseudo-secularism has degenerated into sadist secularism", aptly sums up the purpose behind the Government's appalling attempt to mock at Hindu faith and tradition. Indeed, had it not been for Mr Advani's forceful protest and the prospect of being confronted with a huge Hindu backlash because of its ill-advised though fully intended denigration of Lord Ram, the Government would not have scurried for cover on Thursday and declared that it would "withdraw" the scurrilous paragraphs of Wednesday's affidavit through a supplementary affidavit</b>. It is as amusing to hear Union Law Minister HR Bhardwaj wax eloquent on popular faith -- "The existence of Ram cannot be doubted. As Himalaya is Himalaya, Ganga is Ganga, Ram is Ram. There is no requirement of any proof to establish his existence" -- as it is laughable to learn that the Government's shame-faced turnaround follows the Congress president's 'disapproval'. Where was this wisdom and concern for Hindu faith when the original affidavit was being drafted? Which brings us to the question: <b>Who in the political establishment ordered the attack on Lord Ram?</b> This particularly vile episode of Congress's perverted 'secularism' cannot be considered to be over unless responsibility is fixed. Meanwhile, the destruction of India's cultural heritage should be stopped immediately:<b> Ram Setu is a symbol of popular Hindu faith and its preservation is a national imperative.</b>
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The Pioneer Edit Desk
Scared Congress scurries for cover
It is stunningly absurd that the UPA Government should have submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court claiming Lord Ram did not exist and the sacred texts, notably Valmiki's Ramayan and Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, associated with an icon deeply revered by millions of Hindus in India and abroad and who, in many ways, is central to the Hindu ethos of dharma, lack historical basis. To slyly suggest, as the Congress's apologists have done 24 hours later, that the affidavit was filed by the Archaeological Survey of India without the clearance of the Union Law Ministry and, therefore, the Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleagues are not to be blamed for the shocking assertion which pours ridicule on the faith of Hindus, is disingenuous. The ASI's affidavit is in response to a specific query by the Supreme Court about the antiquity of what many Hindus believe is 'Ram Setu' -- the bridge built by Hanuman and his vaanar sena for Lord Ram to cross the sea and reach Lanka to rescue Sita -- which faces destruction on account of the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project. The ASI would have been perfectly justified to state in its affidavit that it does not have any scientific evidence about the structure's antiquity, but it chose to go beyond its brief and cast serious aspersion on the belief of vast sections of Hindus. Such transgression -- as anybody aware of how bureaucracy responds to sensitive issues would aver -- which amounts to making a political statement, would not have occurred had there been no political directive. Perhaps those behind this attempt to negate India's cultural heritage and civilisational identity had not expected there would be a tidal wave of angry response, but this only shows the ineptness of those in power who believe their crudity will go unnoticed by Hindus and yet fetch them the votes of Muslims.
<b>The BJP has done the right thing by exposing the sinister motive of the Congress and Mr LK Advani's trenchant comment, that the "Congress's pseudo-secularism has degenerated into sadist secularism", aptly sums up the purpose behind the Government's appalling attempt to mock at Hindu faith and tradition. Indeed, had it not been for Mr Advani's forceful protest and the prospect of being confronted with a huge Hindu backlash because of its ill-advised though fully intended denigration of Lord Ram, the Government would not have scurried for cover on Thursday and declared that it would "withdraw" the scurrilous paragraphs of Wednesday's affidavit through a supplementary affidavit</b>. It is as amusing to hear Union Law Minister HR Bhardwaj wax eloquent on popular faith -- "The existence of Ram cannot be doubted. As Himalaya is Himalaya, Ganga is Ganga, Ram is Ram. There is no requirement of any proof to establish his existence" -- as it is laughable to learn that the Government's shame-faced turnaround follows the Congress president's 'disapproval'. Where was this wisdom and concern for Hindu faith when the original affidavit was being drafted? Which brings us to the question: <b>Who in the political establishment ordered the attack on Lord Ram?</b> This particularly vile episode of Congress's perverted 'secularism' cannot be considered to be over unless responsibility is fixed. Meanwhile, the destruction of India's cultural heritage should be stopped immediately:<b> Ram Setu is a symbol of popular Hindu faith and its preservation is a national imperative.</b>
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