Ram Janmabhoomi, Rama Sethu and Babri Masjid

A well-wisher alerted me to this statement made by senior advocate Shri K Parasaran in the Supreme Court last week:

Government should avoid causing any damage to the “Ram Setu” as it might leave a permanent scar in the minds of people like the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya….

I am amazed…

Notice the multiple levels of mixing up, confusion and juxtapositioning that is going on here…

The matter of of Rama Sethu has somehow been clubbed with Babri Masjid,  juxtaposing the demolition of Babri Masjid that happended WITHOUT any government or official sanction with the destruction of Ram Sethu which is being forced with the full blessings of powers that be…

In the process, we have the extraordinary spectacle of Lord Shri Ram, a revered figure to millions being “bracketed” with Babar, a foreign invader.

What worries me most about this statement though is its implication(s) for the Janmabhoomi movement…

Any thoughts?  I am keen to hear responses.

Finally, a question to get you thinking: regardless of whether the Rama Sethu is man-made or is a natural formation, can it really be equated with Babri Masjid which was a structure deliberately constructed to humiliate a population that had been subjugated?

As someone wrote to me in an email, “…with “friends” like Sh. Parasaran, who needs enemies?” !

P.S. In case any of you is tempted to ask: my position on the demolition of Babri Masjid is that it was wrong, unfortunate and should not have happened.

Related Posts:

Voices of caution on SethuSamudram 

The search for a historical “Rama” 

Summary of the Historical Question – Ram Janmabhoomi 

A suggested stance on Kashi & Mathura 

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4 Responses

  1. Kiran says:

    To be honest, I don’t think that there is such a major distinction.

    I mean, if I were to look at it objectively, I would see that Ram and Babar were historical figures who built a religious monument that someone is trying to demolish. Everything else is just subjective

    And probably Sh. Parasaran was referring to the trauma that the earlier event caused with one that is likely to be caused now.

    I do agree with you in the sense that the major difference is that one is about to happen with the tacit support of the Govt.

    And these days I am so disillusioned that I am happy as long as things happen right even if the reasons why they happen may not be exactly right. All’s well that ends well right?

    However, the last P.S. was kinda disappointing. Why do we have to be apologetic and provide a justification for an act that is performed by a mob irrespective of their religious affiliation. Heck, do you think the Muslims would ever be so apologetic for Babar’s actions? At times, I wonder who is the minority..

  2. Indian says:

    The same way I felt after reading this somwhere and I was eager to point out. Very confusing statement by the highest authority. How can they eqaute 2 issues to gather.

    It should be the read like this “Government should avoid causing any damage to the “Ram Setu” as it might leave a permanent scar in the minds of people like the demolition of Ram temple at Ayodhya” not a Babri Masjid in Ayodhya….“

    SC need to learn History lessons. UPA has succeeded in their efforts of only minorities, as now SC has also come under their influence.

    Jai Hind!

  3. B Shantanu says:

    Kiran, Indian: Thanks for your comments.

    ***
    @ Kiran: Your comment sparked this thought: Does anyone know of Muslim leaders or Ulemas who have publicly stated their disapproval of the demolition of several temples in Malaysia? Excerpts below:

    “….Hindu rights group charged that there appeared to be an ‘unofficial policy of Hindu temple cleansing’ in Malaysia after eight worship places were torn down or given demolition notices in three months.

    Ethnic Indians, mostly Hindus, make up about 8 per cent of Malaysia’s 26 million people.
    Many of them still earn a living tapping rubber and doing menial labor, and have minimal participation in the corporate sector.

    The community lags economically and politically behind ethnic Malays, who comprise about 60 per cent of the population, and Chinese, who make up about a quarter.

    Since February, three Hindu temples have been knocked down, while one has been partly destroyed and threatened with further destruction, and two have been served demolition notices

    In the latest incident, Moorthy said Kuala Lumpur City Hall officials with firearms and riot gear on May 11 forcefully demolished part of a 60-year-old suburban temple that serves more than 1,000 low-income devotees.

    Another 150-year-old temple in southern Negeri Sembilan state has also been served a demolition notice, but the temple committee is fighting the case in court, he said.

  4. Now this is too much ! How can anyone dare to say such bullshit ! This is sacrilege ! Ram Setu is the symbol of the titanic struggle Bhagwan Ram set-up to reinstate the world-order, we worship him for that – He is maryada purshotum for this super-human effort. He is greatest of all Hindu gods for this feat. Had he not fought this great war we won’t be worshipping him !

    How can you compare anything that is connected to most reverend of our Gods with a thirdrate monument constructed by a criminal in name of an ideology of terror ( I don’t think islam is a religion )