DMK chief M Karunanidhi will on Monday lead a State-wide protest across Tamil Nadu demanding the demolition of Ram Sethu, the stone structure separating the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri lanka.
Karunanidhi claims that the if the stone structure is not brought down, Tamil Nadu would turn into a desert. Since party cadre fear to ask counter questions like how the Ram Sethu, which the Hindus hold in high reverence because of its connection with Ramayana, could make Tamil Nadu a desert, the DMK chief is saved off a big embarrassment to find answer to his revelation.
The proposed Sethusamudram Shipping Channel Project could be executed only with the demolition of Ram Sethu, which the Hindus believe was built by lord Ram and his ‘monkey’ brigade in their fight against the demon king Ravana who had kidnapped Seetha to lanka. Since the rationalist Karunanidhi and his DMK acolytes do not believe in Ramayana or Mahabharatha, they make use of even small opportunities to abuse the Hindus.
Karunanidhi's belief is that by demolishing Ram Sethu the Hindus could be humiliated. He is already facing a court case for calling the Hindus as thieves. Interestingly, in his counter to the court, he said he only meant to tell that Hindus steal hearts.
The works of the Sethusamudram Project came to a standstill following a legal suit filed by Janata Party chief Dr Subramanian Swamy before the Supreme Court. The apex court stayed the works and appointed R K Pachouri Committee to study the impact of the construction of the channel on the environment and ecology. The Pachouri committee found that the project was of no use and could lead to ecological disaster as the fragile Gulf of Mannar Biosphere in the region would get destroyed because of dredging and digging.
Even marine experts are of the view that the Sethusamudram Project would in no way benefit international navigation. The demand by Karunanidhi to demolish the Sethu is being seen as yet another act of his hypocrisy on the Sri lankan Tamil issue. Scientists of Sri lanka have pointed out that tinkering with the Ram Sethu and the construction of the Sethusamudarm would make life difficult for the people in northern Sri lanka, predominantly Tamils. But Karunanidhi in his hatred towards lord Rama and Hindus have forgotten all other issues.
Though the DMK chief has said that he would launch an indefinite agitation demanding the demolition of Ram Sethu, analysts in Tamil Nadu do not give much importance to his threat. “In October 2012, he wrote in Murasoli that he would wear only black shirt in future as a mark of protest to the “misdeeds of CM Jayalalithaa", said a DMK source.