"Ram Sethu" or just Adam's Bridge?

"Contents of the Valmiki Ramayana, the Ramcharita Manas by Tulsidas and other mythological texts cannot be said to be historical record to incontrovertibly prove the existence of the characters, or the occurrence of the events, depicted therein.''


Does this mean that all the beliefs held by Hindus about their gods and temples and rituals hold no meaning? So a temple can be demolished to build a highway because there is no written piece of record to prove that the place has an importance to Hindus and their religion. It's just an eyesore to the "developing" nation.

Can anyone dare to make such a statement about any other religion? When Jyllands-Posten the Danish newspaper depicted controversial cartoons, it led to protests across the Muslim world, some of which escalated into violence (more than 100 deaths, altogether), including setting fire to the Norwegian and Danish Embassies in Syria, and the storming of European buildings and desecration of the Danish and the German flags in Gaza City. Either we are too naive or too lazy to protect ourselves. Are there any written records of the miracles performed by Jesus? Even if there is, is a piece of writing enough to prove them? Are there any videos of the deeds? Religion is a set of belief that extends beyond proof. In the words of Douglas Adams "proof denies faith and without faith God is nothing." Expecting to prove a set of beliefs is not only absurd to the level of trying to find the end of the universe but also hurts the group of people who believe them. Can any government make a statement on this issue and get away with it? Is our government so insensitive to the feelings of a section of people? Why don't the politicians ever try to put their hands into other beehives? It is a fact that only the revenues of the "Hindu temples" go to government and not the donations given to Mosques or Churches. This is one of the primary reasons why many temples are poorly maintained and some are in dilapidated conditions. Why such a pathetic treatment to the so-called "majority" in a "secular" nation?

There is a big debate going on about whether sainthood should be given to Mother Teresa.Since Mother Teresa's death in 1997, six people have come forward to say prayers to her have led to miraculous cures.At least one miracle must be proved to a medical committee before she can be beatified. A second miracle must be proved before she can become a saint. The miracle that will most likely be attempted to be proved involves a Bengali woman who says her life-threatening tumour disappeared within days of her prayers to Mother Teresa. In a rare interview in 1986, Mother Teresa told CBS News she had a calling, based on unquestioned faith. "They are all children of God, loved and created by the same heart of God," she said. Shortly after beginning work in Calcutta's slums, the spirit left Mother Teresa. "Where is my faith?" she wrote. "Even deep down… there is nothing but emptiness and darkness... If there be God — please forgive me." Eight years later, she was still looking to reclaim her lost faith. "Such deep longing for God… Repulsed, empty, no faith, no love, no zeal," she said. This comment of Mother Teresa has sparked a huge controversy about whether sainthood should be conferred to a person who had no belief in God. When a Christian with a saintly character and even the so required "miracles" in her account, is denied sainthood just because of her once disbelief in God, what punishment must be given to those trying to find evidence of God's existence in our religion and even daring to bring it into scientific inquiry?

The point is not about whether Rama actually built the bridge or not but about respecting the sentiments of people. And mere removal of a paragraph from the affidavit will not suffice. The action must be stopped. Of course, those raising voices against the issue may just be trying to take political advantage of the situation, but it is good that at least some are raising their voices.

The other controversial aspect to this issue is whether the project itself is sensible. There have been numerous articles in reputed dailies and news channels condemning this move and proving with calculations that the project will turn out to be a huge loss to the government. What is the strong motivation for the government to continue the project after all this, remains to be the million dollar question.