Hundreds of thousands of Rambhaktas converged in Rameswaram on August 26 in response to the ?Chalo Rameswaram? call by saints and Hindu organisations. They were there to express their resolve to protect Ram Sethu from being destroyed during the implementation of Sethusamudram Canal Project. During the recent weeks, the Ram Sethu protection movement of Hindus has been gaining momentum. But, since the authorities continue to be in brazen haste towards destroying Ram Sethu built by Shri Ram, Hindus have been forced to further intensify their stir. At the August 26 Rameswaram conference, Dr Pravin Togadia of VHP announced that ?Road and Rail Roko? would be held on September 12, 2007 for three hours from 8 am and a chain of protests would be organised until the union government dropped the alignment that would damage Ram Sethu.
The voice of Hindu resistance was heard in as many as half a dozen Bharatiya languages at the conference venue in Rameswaram. In addition to Tamil, sadhus and leaders spoke in Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. Delegates from Bengal and Bihar also formed part of the huge Hindu assembly, hinting at the all India dimension of the snowballing resistance.
Dr Togadia said that Ram Sethu is a traditional bridge between India and Sri Lanka and Lankan Tamils had crossed sea by walk on the bridge to pray at Rameswaram temple. He said that the efforts for the economic growth of the nation is to be welcomed, but it should not hurt the faith of Hindus. Dr Togadia alleged that there is a discreet plan to utilise liquid explosives to blast Ram Sethu, and said that people would not be mere spectators if the national heritage is destroyed.
It has been planned by the Sethusamudram Canal Project authorities to blast the Ram Sethu at 60 spots at a depth of three metres, informed the working president of VHP Shri S. Vedhantham. He was speaking to media persons at Rameswaram. Shri Kuppuramu, president of Rameswaram Rama Sethu Protection Movement, demanded that the government should forthwith drop its plan to blast Ram Sethu and withdraw ships that have been deployed to destroy Ram Sethu. He said that the new chief of the Canal Project Shri Suresh had visited the project site for the purpose. Shri Kuppuramu warned that if Ram Sethu were to be blasted, the whole country would be in turmoil and that would lead to an extraordinary situation.
Sadhvi Ritambhara, as well as many sadhus, and Shri Rama-gopalan of Hindu Munnani, spoke at the conference. There was a massive procession of agitated Hindus along the streets of holy Rameswaram early in the day. Special Rudra Abhishekham was performed for Ramanatha Swamy, the presiding deity of Rameswaram. A yajna was also performed at the conference venue.
Now, all eyes are on Ram Sethu as also on September 12.
Leaders of Hindu organisations revealed that the Indian Navy has refused to help the authorities of Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project in blasting Ram Sethu. (No machine so far could break Ram Sethu.) So, the SSCP is trying to rope in the explosives department of government of India for the purpose.
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