Stop misusing Gods - Karunanidhi

Toning down his anti-Ram stand further, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi is now pleading in favour of speedy implementation of the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project using arguments on religious grounds.

Criticising those opposing the project in the name of religion, Karunanidhi, in a statement yesterday, pointed out that right from the beginning, various political leaders, including AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, and her ally, MDMK leader Vaiko, had consistently referred to the Ram Sethu as 'Adam's Bridge'.

Only now, he said, they had joined the BJP and other Hindu organisations in calling it 'Ramar Paalam' or Ram's Bridge.

"If Adam's Bridge had been called Ramar Bridge all along, we would not have demanded that the bridge be renamed. Similarly, 'Rameshwaram' and 'Ramanathapuram' continue to be named so (after Lord Ram). And people also believe that Ramar's footprints have been engraved on a stone in Kodikkarai (Point Calimere) in Vedarantyam, where he stood and looked towards Lanka. The footprints remain and no one has attempted to destroy them," Karunanidhi noted.

According to him: "Now the issue is they are using the name of Ramar to stall such a massive project which would bring prosperity to Tamil Nadu. Is this fair?"

Pointing out that there were several river water schemes named after Gods, like the Krishna River, Shanmugha River and the Brahmaputra, Karunanidhi added: "Just because these rivers are named after gods, is anyone opposing these schemes? In fact it is Krishna water which is coming to Chennai. Are we stopping it?"

Recalling the statements made by various leaders on the Sethusamudaram project till 1998, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister pointed out that there was not a single mention about a 'Ramar' bridge. It had all along been referred to only as Adam's Bridge, he noted, and "all the leaders wanted the project to be implemented by removing the Adam's Bridge".

"Even the AIADMK in its election manifesto in 2001 had called for implementation of the project after removing the shoals and rocks along the Adam's Bridge," Karunanidhi said. But now Jayalalithaa has changed her stance and has demanded implementation of the project without damaging the Ramar Sethu. "This is only to please the BJP," he said.

Indian Express