Hindu god lays the foundations
for ship canal
From the
Reuters India see
full article
The Indian government is being accused of
blasphemy by its political opponents for saying some of Hinduism's most
important texts are not proof of the existence of Hindu gods.
Threats of a nationwide protest forced the government to begin
backtracking, wary that its Hindu nationalist rivals could use religious
disputes to gain political capital.
The government made the claim in a statement on Wednesday to the Supreme
Court, which is hearing a dispute over India's plan to bore a shipping
lane through a ridge of rock and sand between India and Sri Lanka which
some Hindus think was built by a god.
The Ramayana and Ramcharitmanas, two religious texts, recount the life
of Lord Ram, a Hindu god said to have commanded his army of monkeys to
build a bridge to Sri Lanka thousands of years ago so he could rescue
his kidnapped wife, Sita.
But the government of mainly Hindu but officially secular India says the
ridge was moulded by the ocean tides.
The contents of the Valmiki Ramayana, the Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas
and other mythological texts ... cannot be said to be historical record
to incontrovertibly prove the existence of the characters or the
occurrence of the events depicted therein, the government's
affidavit said.
The main opposition, the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),
immediately accused the government of blasphemy and appeasing people who
follow other religions. L.K. Advani, the leader of the opposition, said
that the affidavit showed contempt for millions of Hindus in India
and abroad.
Update:
The Monkeys Win
15th September
India's government said it was putting on
hold its bid to dredge a crucial shipping lane after being accused of
blasphemy by Hindu activists who argue the project will damage a sacred
site.
The government denied the existence of a Hindu god to justify the
half-billion-dollar project, which involves building a channel to enable
ships to navigate the southern tip of India instead of skirting around
Sri Lanka.
Hindus believe a string of islands linking India and Sri Lanka, known as
Adam's Bridge, was made by an army of monkeys to help the warrior god
Ram rescue his kidnapped wife.
With the authorities under fire for allegedly insulting Hindus,
government lawyers went to the Supreme Court to ask for a three-month
delay in legal proceedings to consider its case.
The central government has total respect for all religions, and
Hinduism in particular, in the context of the present case,
Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium told the Supreme Court in
a hearing on Friday.
The move to shelve the plan was, he said, because the government wanted
to bring society together rather than cause any disruption.
Update:
Now everybody believes in bridge building monkeys
16th September
The Archaeological Survey of India told
the Supreme Court that the religious texts were not evidence that Lord
Ram ever existed. So hardline Hindu opponents of the government accused
the administration of blasphemy and protesters carried out
demonstrations in the area and in Delhi, Bhopal, and on a number of key
highways.
The next day the survey report was withdrawn.
Culture Minister Ambika Soni told reporters on Saturday: If the prime
minister of India... would feel that I am culpable and wants me to
resign, it won't take me a minute to do so.
Soni said the directors had been suspended because they had ignored a
revision she had made to the affidavit.
Update:
Monkeys Give Way
18th September
The Indian government said Monday it will
go ahead with a controversial plan to build a sea lane in the Bay of
Bengal despite a storm of protest from Hindus who say it will destroy a
sacred site.
India's Premier Manmohan Singh had put a hold on the half-billion-dollar
project to dredge the sandy shoals, which Hindus believe were created by
the god Ram, following accusations of blasphemy.
But Shipping Minister T. R. Baalu said the government would go to the
Supreme Court for permission to continue and was confident of
completing the project at the earliest.