The thing that got my goat was the affidavit that was filed. Technically, the ASI was right of course... And what do you think about the gratuitous remarks of Karunanidhi? Would he say that Muhammed was a child molester in a public forum? The blatant duplicity and derision handed out to the majority religion results in a backlash, which says if the government can be so insensitive and irrational, why not try our irrationality for a change since its the only language the government seems to understand.
Hey, no argument from me, except that I would say that the ASI is utterly idiotic, and far worse if they actually filed that affidavit without immense pressure from the Mantri's Executive Asst.
If u watch "Yes Minister" I think u can figure out where that Affidavit actually came from. The ASI guys of course became the scapegoats.
There is in fact far more "historical evidence" of the Ramayana than there is about all the miraculous occurrences claimed as "history" in other belief systems. Well.. maybe V.I. Lenin actually existed, since they kept his corpse pickled for 75 years in Red Square.
So to sit in India and file something like that in 2007 is, yes, inexcusable.
As for Karunanidhi, thanx but no thanx, I think any comment about that dude is superfluous.
And yes, I agree that the sorry state of Rameshwaram and coastal TN is a gross failure of governance, but then most of TN looks desperately poor because the people are so simple and frugal. But Rameshwaram Island desperately needs development. The TN govt HAS been pleading with the Centre for decades, for the Canal, and for other development there. So it is substantially the fault of the Central govt. as well - building big infrastructure in a cyclone-prone area is not easy, as we see.
The reason why the project is run out of the Tuticorin Port Authority is that Tuticorin (Toothukudi) stands to gain immensely from this project - that's another desperately poor area (I've never been there, but many of the tea plantation workers in central Sri Lanka were from that district .. and preferred the horrible conditions there to returning to Tuticorin).
So at least let's give Jayalalithaaaa credit for TRYING.
But in all this, I do have to note that the RSS is the entity that has focused exclusively on "communalizing" a project that was bacially for everyone's good. Sorry, but I watched this develop starting from the first stirrings of their stupid idea, and am left in no doubt on this issue. Now of course, it's successfully inflamed with buses burned along with the infirm passengers inside, Affidavits that make u wonder if there is any human intelligence at all in Dilli, and such other signs of intelligent debate.
Sure, the utter bigotry exposed, has to be fully exploited. But it would be a bad mistake to throw out the project along with that. At this point, the "Hindu" interest should be in emulating what the Commies did, back at them.
Until about 2005, the Commies were dead set against this project. Environmental concerns, concern for the fishermen (whom they want to keep barefoot and pregnant and hungry enough to depend on the commies), etc. etc. All crocodile tears. But NOW, since they see the Holies out in force, the Commies are 400% in FAVOR of the project.
The Hindu interest now should be to demand that the project go ahead as planned, BUT with the southern canal (the Ram sethu dredging) done with all due consecration ceremonies, blessings invoked, and a fine monument and museum built, say at Mandapam or Rameshwaram (somewhere high enough to survive the annual cyclone/tidal waves). And demand some very substantial development money to build holy facilities there, and generate a lot of employment based on the Ramayana in southern TN. Hi-speed rail, an airport, whatever.
This would completely upset the commies, break the commie and conversionist hold on eastern/southern TN, and turn the politics around to good advantage.
Yeah, I'm waiting with bated breath...
Brilliance, man. Brilliance.
- well maybe thats what will happen.