There is a reason I rarely write about politics, even though I'm hyper- aware of a lot of things that happen in that field- there are too many people on my link list who write so much better about it, and know so much more than me.
I also don't know too much about Sri Lankan politics, but this is a very powerful article written by one of those people I have mentioned above, and an even more powerful stream of thought... PseudoRandom mentioned in the comments section of said blog post about spoiling the vote. That's a new and interesting concept to me, since in India we're just trying to get people to go and vote... the new concept for the state legislative body election was to go to the election booth, and opt not to vote, in which case we could take a form and give our reasons as to why we were refraining from voting- exercise our power to not vote... it's always been there, but most people did not know about it.
The general elections are coming up in India, and this is a crucial time for our country- food is getting more and more expensive, terrorists are making a regular living off us, and the economy is sliding out of control... not to mention the ever present Pakistan, and now the even greater threat of the Taliban in our backyard. The Americans are sleeping, and why should it bother them anyway? It's the regular Indian that's getting battered, after all. We need a strong, decisive government that can steer us out of this mess, counter the threat of Taliban, and that of internal insurgency, and put the bread and milk back on our tables.
What the campaign suggests, however, is a horrible nightmare- a fractured polity, where alliances are being made based more on the petty rules of give- and- take, rather than national unity and integrity.
This article began as a comment to the article I have linked to above, but the thought presented there excited me enough to write a post on it. Spoiling a vote... what I take it to mean is that as voters we make sure there is no absolute majority, keeping store by the adage that tells us that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Such an experiment is not possible in India at the moment, where there are no guarantees about who will win, since unlike the current Sri Lankan government, ours has really not achieved anything that has put the entire nation in a mood of joyous celebration. Of course, uptil now, what I understood about spoiling the vote was to just put an ugly slash across the ballot sheet, but this will also not be possible in India anymore since we now use electronic voting machines.
In Sri Lanka, however, this interesting concept can be put to good effect, if enough people participate. This is how it goes- everyone there is quite enamoured by the Mahinda Rajapakse- lead government, due to their success in the prolonged civil war, and will most probably go ahead and vote for them, so my friend here has asked his fellow Sri Lankans to either not vote at all, or vote for an opposition party, so that a democratic system of checks and balances is maintained, and the current ruling party does not get an overwhelming majority, which he says has lead to much abuse of power in the past.
It’s a situation that has occurred previously in India- in 1971, Mrs. Indira Gandhi won the elections with a tremendous mandate, and became the Prime Minister. Four years later, the Allahabad High Court declared her election to the Lok Sabha void on grounds of electoral malpractice. The Lok Sabha is the lower house of the Indian Parliament, and a prime minister must be either a member of this, or the upper house to continue to remain in office. Since it banned her from competing in elections for six years, this decision effectively removed her from office. However, Mrs. Gandhi had then refused to vacate her office, leading to mass protests all over the country, and a state of civil disobedience. In 1975, to hang on to power, she declared a state of emergency due to internal disorder, and within a few months the entire country was under direct central control.
Well, you can imagine what followed- Mrs. Gandhi used the emergency provisions to grant herself extraordinary powers, and even replaced chief ministers from her party who had an independent power base with those who were personally loyal to her, most of the opposition was jailed, crippled the system at so many levels that she was able to rule by decree, and even initiated the clearing of slums around Delhi's Jama Masjid area, which allegedly left thousands of people homeless and hundreds killed, and led to communal embitterment in those parts of the nation's capital; Oh, yeah- the family planning program which forcibly imposed vasectomy on thousands of fathers and was often poorly administered. Of course, the press was also heavily censored. My parents tell me that the all the major national dailies had started printing newspapers with the editorial section left blank as a mark of protest, but the government couldn’t stomach this either, so the press was heavily bashed up as well.
After twice extending the emergency, she went back to the people, hoping for vindication, however, the public chose democracy over dictatorship.
Well, her story continued, and she came back once again to rule the country, but there, Dear All, is an example of how completely power can corrupt. I wonder what it would have been like if this whole spoiling- the- vote thing had been practised when she was originally elected...
There is also this other point about the on going general election in my country that I find quite amusing... well, the situation itself is not amusing, it’s just that elections time can truly change a politician’s nature... the Sri Lankan civil war has always been a touchy topic in the land of Tamil Nadu, but now that the band of terrorists are facing an ouster from the Island Nation it is even more emotive. People who were earlier clearly calling Mr. Prabhakaran a terrorist, are now a little more careful with what they say, and the focus has, of course, shifted to the Tamil origin civilians caught in the war.
Another interesting aspect to this is that the current central government is run by the Indian National Congress, whose boy wonder Rajiv Gandhi (very competent prime minister) was assassinated by the LTTE for openly supporting the Sri Lankan government over the so called ‘Indian brothers’. His son, and current poster boy Rahul Gandhi has clearly stated that he has no sympathies with the LTTE, and that he will never forgive them. The government has asked for Mr. Prabhakaran to be tried in India if he’s found alive. God forbid- I can just imagine the drama.
In fact, I hope the bastard is found with a bullet lodged in his brain. Life will be so much simpler.
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In other news, I wrote a Financial Management exam yesterday, and I don’t believe I’ve ever written a worse paper. Thankfully, the look of shock was visible on every face after leaving the examination hall. There were even some tears shed.
Please, God, please- I must pass.
Dear Reader, I ask you, please pray for me.
Showing posts with label Controversy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Controversy. Show all posts
Saturday, 25 April 2009
Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Here's some more...
O.K. I know I’ve already written about this, but I really want to yell some more about this issue…
While Mr. Dilip Vengsarkar’s can of worms refuses to stop the spills, we continue to get insights into what actually went on behind the scenes in Rahul Dravid’s ouster from the Indian cricket team.
Apparently, the decision to ‘rest’ the former India skipper took only about ten minutes in a meeting lasting some fifty minutes. Also, when one of the selectors suggested that Rahul be informed of the decision before the rest of the country, Mr. Vengsarkar’s reaction was “did he inform us before resigning the captaincy?”
As I have already said, this is turning out to be nothing more than an ugly display of egotism from the chief selector’s side.
Meanwhile, many of his former colleagues have come out questioning his cricketing sensibilities, with Sanjay Manjerekar saying ‘rested’ has become an interesting word, former national selector Kiran More blasting the colonel, and Navjot Sidhu lambasting him and saying he’ll back Rahul all the way.
I would like to remind Mr. Vengsarkar that his first and last year in international cricket were nothing to write home about, yet, the selectors did not ‘rest’ him, yet, all it took for Rahul to be ‘rested’ was four matches. Not that I’m comparing Dilip Vengsarkar to Rahul Dravid… in my book, you would have to be quite exceptional to be compared to Rahul.
To tell you the truth, I’m a recent convert to Rahul’s fan following. What really impressed me was the way he completely shielded the team after the 50- over World Cup fiasco, accepting complete blame as captain of the team. It’s not like I didn’t value him as a player earlier, as Mr. Sidhu said, he’s a player who would walk barefoot on glass for his country, and I absolutely agree. Infact, we’ve all heard fables of his dedication to the team, and, honestly, that alone adds so much value to our team… it’s immeasurable.
After so many years of dedicated service, such a great player was treated in such a humiliating manner, and, it’s not new either. What does this say about our selectors, and the BCCI? And what does it say to people like Saurav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar?
Oh yeah- Shoib Akhtar has paid a tribute to our wall in his very own way, after a fabulous comeback- he said he’s glad he won’t have to bowl to Rahul, since he’s very tough to dislodge.
The selectors have not just pressurised India’s greatest players (Oh, and did I mention the fact that I think pressure was probably the reason Rahul did not do so well in those four matches against Austrailia?), they have also laid open our relatively inexperienced batting order to the Pakistanis bowlers.
In the meantime, cricket fans around the world will miss Rahul, including those AWESOME horizontal bat shots, and the gorgeous drives.
While Mr. Dilip Vengsarkar’s can of worms refuses to stop the spills, we continue to get insights into what actually went on behind the scenes in Rahul Dravid’s ouster from the Indian cricket team.
Apparently, the decision to ‘rest’ the former India skipper took only about ten minutes in a meeting lasting some fifty minutes. Also, when one of the selectors suggested that Rahul be informed of the decision before the rest of the country, Mr. Vengsarkar’s reaction was “did he inform us before resigning the captaincy?”
As I have already said, this is turning out to be nothing more than an ugly display of egotism from the chief selector’s side.
Meanwhile, many of his former colleagues have come out questioning his cricketing sensibilities, with Sanjay Manjerekar saying ‘rested’ has become an interesting word, former national selector Kiran More blasting the colonel, and Navjot Sidhu lambasting him and saying he’ll back Rahul all the way.
I would like to remind Mr. Vengsarkar that his first and last year in international cricket were nothing to write home about, yet, the selectors did not ‘rest’ him, yet, all it took for Rahul to be ‘rested’ was four matches. Not that I’m comparing Dilip Vengsarkar to Rahul Dravid… in my book, you would have to be quite exceptional to be compared to Rahul.
To tell you the truth, I’m a recent convert to Rahul’s fan following. What really impressed me was the way he completely shielded the team after the 50- over World Cup fiasco, accepting complete blame as captain of the team. It’s not like I didn’t value him as a player earlier, as Mr. Sidhu said, he’s a player who would walk barefoot on glass for his country, and I absolutely agree. Infact, we’ve all heard fables of his dedication to the team, and, honestly, that alone adds so much value to our team… it’s immeasurable.
After so many years of dedicated service, such a great player was treated in such a humiliating manner, and, it’s not new either. What does this say about our selectors, and the BCCI? And what does it say to people like Saurav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar?
Oh yeah- Shoib Akhtar has paid a tribute to our wall in his very own way, after a fabulous comeback- he said he’s glad he won’t have to bowl to Rahul, since he’s very tough to dislodge.
The selectors have not just pressurised India’s greatest players (Oh, and did I mention the fact that I think pressure was probably the reason Rahul did not do so well in those four matches against Austrailia?), they have also laid open our relatively inexperienced batting order to the Pakistanis bowlers.
In the meantime, cricket fans around the world will miss Rahul, including those AWESOME horizontal bat shots, and the gorgeous drives.
I just feel it's really, really unfair, and I'm waiting for Rahul to get back very soon.
Sunday, 28 October 2007
Ruled OUT!
Rahul Dravid will not be playing for the first two ODIs against Pakistan.
No, he’s not injured- he’s been dropped. Yes, you read that right- he’s been dropped. According to chief selector Mr. Dilip Vengsarkar, Rahul’s a ‘one dimensional player’.
Really? ‘One dimensional’? Well, according to me, Mr Vengsarkar, you’re playing out a personal vendetta against Rahul, a player whose dedication to Indian cricket cannot be questioned by anyone.
Ever since he came into the team, the bloke’s been used as a sacrificial lamb, and just like the marked animal, he’s never said anything about what he actually wanted to do. Rahul, can you open the innings? Sure; Rahul, can you bat at one down? Two down? No problem; hey Rahul, can you go in at no. 5? No. 6? No. 7? Can you be a floater? Can you keep wickets please? We really need an extra batsman… yes, yes, yes. With him it’s always been “The team needs this, so of course I’ll do it.”
I really want to ask the selectors how could they forget his contributions to the team? This is ungrateful at best. How much leeway was given to Virender Sehwag, I want to ask? The guy deserved the axe some six months before he actually got it. Rahul struggled in four games, and he’s been ‘rested’. Obviously, Rahul is paying for making the powers that be of Indian cricket look stupid by suddenly giving up captaincy. Most of us don’t know him, but the way in which he gave it up, the country pretty much knew for a certainty that he was being asked to compromise himself for the post. He didn’t do it. And now Mr. Vengsarkar feels he’s the only one not ‘adding value’ to the team.
It was heartbreaking to see Rahul after the news came out, with our godforsaken media hounding him for a reaction.
To the media: Please leave him alone. He didn’t ask for this.
To the selectors: It’s a stupid decision that defies all cricketing logic. You people have much to answer for.
To Rahul: I know the chances of your ever reading this piece are pretty low, but I know you’ll make it out of this. Champ that you are, I know we’ll see you soon. Good Luck.
No, he’s not injured- he’s been dropped. Yes, you read that right- he’s been dropped. According to chief selector Mr. Dilip Vengsarkar, Rahul’s a ‘one dimensional player’.
Really? ‘One dimensional’? Well, according to me, Mr Vengsarkar, you’re playing out a personal vendetta against Rahul, a player whose dedication to Indian cricket cannot be questioned by anyone.
Ever since he came into the team, the bloke’s been used as a sacrificial lamb, and just like the marked animal, he’s never said anything about what he actually wanted to do. Rahul, can you open the innings? Sure; Rahul, can you bat at one down? Two down? No problem; hey Rahul, can you go in at no. 5? No. 6? No. 7? Can you be a floater? Can you keep wickets please? We really need an extra batsman… yes, yes, yes. With him it’s always been “The team needs this, so of course I’ll do it.”
I really want to ask the selectors how could they forget his contributions to the team? This is ungrateful at best. How much leeway was given to Virender Sehwag, I want to ask? The guy deserved the axe some six months before he actually got it. Rahul struggled in four games, and he’s been ‘rested’. Obviously, Rahul is paying for making the powers that be of Indian cricket look stupid by suddenly giving up captaincy. Most of us don’t know him, but the way in which he gave it up, the country pretty much knew for a certainty that he was being asked to compromise himself for the post. He didn’t do it. And now Mr. Vengsarkar feels he’s the only one not ‘adding value’ to the team.
It was heartbreaking to see Rahul after the news came out, with our godforsaken media hounding him for a reaction.
To the media: Please leave him alone. He didn’t ask for this.
To the selectors: It’s a stupid decision that defies all cricketing logic. You people have much to answer for.
To Rahul: I know the chances of your ever reading this piece are pretty low, but I know you’ll make it out of this. Champ that you are, I know we’ll see you soon. Good Luck.
Friday, 21 September 2007
The tale of the morning after
There are these two advertisements on TV these days. Both focus on married couples and both talk about the same product- a brand of morning after pills.
The first ad I saw shows this family sitting for breakfast with the mother\ wife serving. Only her husband notices her discomfiture.
The second ad, which was only aired recently, shows this good-looking guy sitting, waiting for something. The something happens- his bride wakes up, and then notices his nervous unease.
And what are these two characters uncomfortable about? Well, an unplanned pregnancy, what else?
Now, why am I writing about these ads? The answer is, because I think this ad talks very loudly about a lot of issues.
Firstly, The morning after pill, which sparked a raging, fundamentalist debate in the west, is being accepted and freely advertised in a so- labeled ‘backward’ country called India.
Secondly, I think it’s interesting that in one clip it’s the wife who’s concerned about an unplanned pregnancy, and in the other, it’s the husband. Earlier, in general, neither would have bothered. It would just have been like- Oh, well; this is God’s will. It would in most cases even have been celebrated.
Thirdly, It’s portrayed as a mutual decision. This is important because till even a decade ago, even in the educated, upper income groups of urban India, it would be a decision of the man and his family. It’s a paradigm shift and asserts the right of control a woman deserves over her own body- even as it emphasizes the right of both partners over the fate of an unborn child.
Fourthly, in a strange way, it’s propagating family planning. In the first ad the couple already has two kids, and in the second, the newlyweds have non. The common thread is that neither couple wants a child at that point- it’s about how a couple has to be mentally prepared for having children.
Lastly, the timing of this ad is almost other- worldly, given that it’s being telecast at a time when our politicians are debating the existence of the Lord Ram, urban India is being recognized as the lady- killer in quite the wrong way, and village panchayats are terrorizing couples through gotra- politics… Really, this can truly happen only in India.
I guess these ads tell us that marriage is not just a license to get birth certificates printed anymore. It’s actually a celebration of living everyday with the person you love, and who may one day, by mutual consent, plan to be the parent of your child.
The first ad I saw shows this family sitting for breakfast with the mother\ wife serving. Only her husband notices her discomfiture.
The second ad, which was only aired recently, shows this good-looking guy sitting, waiting for something. The something happens- his bride wakes up, and then notices his nervous unease.
And what are these two characters uncomfortable about? Well, an unplanned pregnancy, what else?
Now, why am I writing about these ads? The answer is, because I think this ad talks very loudly about a lot of issues.
Firstly, The morning after pill, which sparked a raging, fundamentalist debate in the west, is being accepted and freely advertised in a so- labeled ‘backward’ country called India.
Secondly, I think it’s interesting that in one clip it’s the wife who’s concerned about an unplanned pregnancy, and in the other, it’s the husband. Earlier, in general, neither would have bothered. It would just have been like- Oh, well; this is God’s will. It would in most cases even have been celebrated.
Thirdly, It’s portrayed as a mutual decision. This is important because till even a decade ago, even in the educated, upper income groups of urban India, it would be a decision of the man and his family. It’s a paradigm shift and asserts the right of control a woman deserves over her own body- even as it emphasizes the right of both partners over the fate of an unborn child.
Fourthly, in a strange way, it’s propagating family planning. In the first ad the couple already has two kids, and in the second, the newlyweds have non. The common thread is that neither couple wants a child at that point- it’s about how a couple has to be mentally prepared for having children.
Lastly, the timing of this ad is almost other- worldly, given that it’s being telecast at a time when our politicians are debating the existence of the Lord Ram, urban India is being recognized as the lady- killer in quite the wrong way, and village panchayats are terrorizing couples through gotra- politics… Really, this can truly happen only in India.
I guess these ads tell us that marriage is not just a license to get birth certificates printed anymore. It’s actually a celebration of living everyday with the person you love, and who may one day, by mutual consent, plan to be the parent of your child.
Thursday, 20 September 2007
AAARGH!!!
We all go through it… It’s agony, and torture, and we hate it because it makes us wonder if we’re good enough to achieve something– personal, professional, whatever.
All of us also know this one fact- that our younger siblings, nieces, nephews, best friends, and when their time comes, even our children will go through this soul- (and body) gnawing experience at some time in their life.
And yet, we never do much about it.
I’m talking about this urban obsession with thin bodies and the extreme steps some people take to get into one of them.
Personally, I was a gawky, extra- tall, never- to- be- pretty kid who turned out just about O.K. and somehow managed to stay away from this one- meal- a- day diet craze. I’m still not sure what did it-
1) The realization that I have a traditionally Indian figure with mile- sized hips; or
2) My parents drubbing into me that I can’t live without food, so I may as well enjoy it.
Frankly, I think if children (boys and girls) and teenagers (girls and boys) want to look like well dressed, emaciated beggars, it’s as much the family’s fault as anyone else’s.
Possibly much more.
You bring this child into the world, and promise him or her that they can trust you. That you’ll protect them no matter what. So how can you leave them to be preyed upon when their mind is most vulnerable to abuse?!
Parents might say: ‘The media propagates this’, or maybe even ‘She’ll grow out of it’, or ‘My son is tough, he can take care of himself’. Well, yes, the media should be responsible, which it mostly isn’t. In general something disturbing will turn up about how teenagers are taking extreme steps to lose weight and there will be a raging national debate for two days. Then the news show discussing the issue will generally be followed by advertisements on weight loss, or programs describing the going- ons of the size zero swish set.
And parents, your kids may be well brought up, but they are not equipped to deal with this. Really, what you fail to see is that it’ll be you, the family, who’ll watch from the sidelines as your precious li’l baby disintegrates mentally, crushed helplessly under low- and- waning self esteem. At best, it’ll be a passing phase. At worst, a life long battle against, or a painful death due to lack of nutrition.
You can see this means a lot to me, and my reasons are:
1) I’ve watched my friends struggle with this; and
2) I recently found out that one of my favourite cousins’, this guy I’ll adore till the day I die, had a son.
He's so breathtakingly adorable, and I don’t ever want him to feel inadequate or unnecessary because he does not look like a photocopy of all the other people in this world.
All of us also know this one fact- that our younger siblings, nieces, nephews, best friends, and when their time comes, even our children will go through this soul- (and body) gnawing experience at some time in their life.
And yet, we never do much about it.
I’m talking about this urban obsession with thin bodies and the extreme steps some people take to get into one of them.
Personally, I was a gawky, extra- tall, never- to- be- pretty kid who turned out just about O.K. and somehow managed to stay away from this one- meal- a- day diet craze. I’m still not sure what did it-
1) The realization that I have a traditionally Indian figure with mile- sized hips; or
2) My parents drubbing into me that I can’t live without food, so I may as well enjoy it.
Frankly, I think if children (boys and girls) and teenagers (girls and boys) want to look like well dressed, emaciated beggars, it’s as much the family’s fault as anyone else’s.
Possibly much more.
You bring this child into the world, and promise him or her that they can trust you. That you’ll protect them no matter what. So how can you leave them to be preyed upon when their mind is most vulnerable to abuse?!
Parents might say: ‘The media propagates this’, or maybe even ‘She’ll grow out of it’, or ‘My son is tough, he can take care of himself’. Well, yes, the media should be responsible, which it mostly isn’t. In general something disturbing will turn up about how teenagers are taking extreme steps to lose weight and there will be a raging national debate for two days. Then the news show discussing the issue will generally be followed by advertisements on weight loss, or programs describing the going- ons of the size zero swish set.
And parents, your kids may be well brought up, but they are not equipped to deal with this. Really, what you fail to see is that it’ll be you, the family, who’ll watch from the sidelines as your precious li’l baby disintegrates mentally, crushed helplessly under low- and- waning self esteem. At best, it’ll be a passing phase. At worst, a life long battle against, or a painful death due to lack of nutrition.
You can see this means a lot to me, and my reasons are:
1) I’ve watched my friends struggle with this; and
2) I recently found out that one of my favourite cousins’, this guy I’ll adore till the day I die, had a son.
He's so breathtakingly adorable, and I don’t ever want him to feel inadequate or unnecessary because he does not look like a photocopy of all the other people in this world.
Wednesday, 19 September 2007
Sethusamudram
Sethusamudram is the bridge joining India to Sri Lanka. Wikipedia says: “ It encompasses the Gulf of Mannar, the Palk Strait, and a shoal of islands and bays that separate them called Adam's Bridge (or Rama Bridge).”
It’s called ‘Ram’s bridge’ or Ram Setu because of it’s association with the Hindu Epic Ramayana, which is the story of the prince Ram of Ayodhya. The tale tells of how Ram is actually an incarnation of the Lord Vishnu, and encompasses his birth, tutelage under the Sage Vishwamitra, battles with demons, his marriage to the princess Sita, banishment from his kingdom, an idyllic romance with Sita, her capture by the Lord Ravan of Lanka (now Sri Lanka), and Ram’s war on Ravan to rescue his beautiful wife.
The bridge comes into the story because Ram needs a way to get to Lanka, and since there’s a sea separating the isle from the main continent, Ram prays to the sea to allow him and his troops a way to get there . The Sea God tells Ram to built a bridge or a setu to Sri Lanka. He says that as long as every bit of building matter like rock or whatever else they used had Ram’s name on it, it would stay afloat in the water. Ram finally walked across this setu to Lanka and rescued Sita after a long war which concluded in a confrontation between Ram and Ravan.
Now I’m not particularly religious, and I don’t think very highly of Ram for what he did to Sita once they reached Ayodhya, but I’ve been in love with the epic ever since my grand mother 1st read it out to me when I was a very small child, and I actually believe this story to be true. That being as it is, I don’t take very kindly to being told that Ram didn’t exist by members of the ruling coalition government recently.
This happened because of the Sethusamudram Canal Project they want to undertake, so that the Indian Navy doesn't have to circumnavigate around Sri Lanka in order to patrol our coasts...
When the opposition protested, they had the guts to file an affidavit in the apex court saying "There's no proof that Ram ever existed!"
Well, since then 2 middle level ASI employees have been fired, and calls have been coming for minister Ambika Soni's resignation, but what I want to ask is this: had it been a phenomenon associated with any other community, would these high and mighty politicians have the nerve to suggest such a thing?
To me, it's not sacrilegious, but I do find it insulting to be told by some beyond- cure dishonest politicians that someone not just I, but also a long line of ancestors has been looking up to as God does not, and did never, exist- because really, these people would know all about devotion and Godliness, wouldn't they?
And, then there's the environmental aspect... the Ram Setu is at a strategic point in our planet. Environmentalists have been screaming themselves hoarse over the fact that the place supports a fragile eco system which will be forever destroyed if the dredging goes through, but I guess the government is not interested...
Now, though, they may be forced into looking up both these issues, and since they're already red in the face, both my objections may actually get some attention from the concerned authorities.
It’s called ‘Ram’s bridge’ or Ram Setu because of it’s association with the Hindu Epic Ramayana, which is the story of the prince Ram of Ayodhya. The tale tells of how Ram is actually an incarnation of the Lord Vishnu, and encompasses his birth, tutelage under the Sage Vishwamitra, battles with demons, his marriage to the princess Sita, banishment from his kingdom, an idyllic romance with Sita, her capture by the Lord Ravan of Lanka (now Sri Lanka), and Ram’s war on Ravan to rescue his beautiful wife.
The bridge comes into the story because Ram needs a way to get to Lanka, and since there’s a sea separating the isle from the main continent, Ram prays to the sea to allow him and his troops a way to get there . The Sea God tells Ram to built a bridge or a setu to Sri Lanka. He says that as long as every bit of building matter like rock or whatever else they used had Ram’s name on it, it would stay afloat in the water. Ram finally walked across this setu to Lanka and rescued Sita after a long war which concluded in a confrontation between Ram and Ravan.
Now I’m not particularly religious, and I don’t think very highly of Ram for what he did to Sita once they reached Ayodhya, but I’ve been in love with the epic ever since my grand mother 1st read it out to me when I was a very small child, and I actually believe this story to be true. That being as it is, I don’t take very kindly to being told that Ram didn’t exist by members of the ruling coalition government recently.
This happened because of the Sethusamudram Canal Project they want to undertake, so that the Indian Navy doesn't have to circumnavigate around Sri Lanka in order to patrol our coasts...
When the opposition protested, they had the guts to file an affidavit in the apex court saying "There's no proof that Ram ever existed!"
Well, since then 2 middle level ASI employees have been fired, and calls have been coming for minister Ambika Soni's resignation, but what I want to ask is this: had it been a phenomenon associated with any other community, would these high and mighty politicians have the nerve to suggest such a thing?
To me, it's not sacrilegious, but I do find it insulting to be told by some beyond- cure dishonest politicians that someone not just I, but also a long line of ancestors has been looking up to as God does not, and did never, exist- because really, these people would know all about devotion and Godliness, wouldn't they?
And, then there's the environmental aspect... the Ram Setu is at a strategic point in our planet. Environmentalists have been screaming themselves hoarse over the fact that the place supports a fragile eco system which will be forever destroyed if the dredging goes through, but I guess the government is not interested...
Now, though, they may be forced into looking up both these issues, and since they're already red in the face, both my objections may actually get some attention from the concerned authorities.
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