Setu: bucking affidavit, buck-passing. Will SC cook the hot potato? Sethusamudram project can be operational by Nov. if SC okays it (The Hindu, 28 Feb. 2008) New Delhi (PTI): The Sethusamudram ship canal project could become operational by November this year depending on clearance by the Supreme Court, Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T R Baalu told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. He said the government had constituted a committee of eminent person on October 5, 2007 with the terms of reference to invite suggestions and objections if any from all concerned persons in the project. The minister said the committee had submitted its report to the government on November 29, 2007. The project was approved by the government in May 2005. However, pursuant to orders passed by the Supreme Court on September 14, 2007, dredging work at Adam’s Bridge area had been suspended. The committee was formed pursuant to the submissions made before the Supreme Court by the Government Counsel on September 14 2007, in respect of certain transferred cases and writ petitions relating to the project. Yesterday, the government had finalised a draft affidavit on the controversial issue aimed at addressing the concerns of key constituent DMK without hurting Hindu sentiments. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200802271757.htm Sethu project: CCPA to meet on Thursday New Delhi (PTI) The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) will meet on Thursday to take a final decision on the affidavit to be filed by the Government in the Supreme Court on the controversial Setusamudram issue. “The Government is taking the views of everybody. Whatever will be filed will be the collective view of the Government,” Union Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni told reporters here on Wednesday. She said the CCPA, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, will meet here to take a final decision on the affidavit. At the CCPA meeting on Tuesday, the Government finalised a draft affidavit on the controversial project aimed at addressing the concerns of key constituent DMK without hurting Hindu sentiments. A draft affidavit was considered at the meeting. Sources said the new affidavit, for which the apex court has given time till next month for filing, would be “secular” in nature without disturbing the proposed alignment of the shipping project in the Palk Straits. Unlike the last time when the government referred to issues like Lord Ram in the affidavit that created a controversy, the present one would consciously avoid any such references. Union Shipping Minister T R Baalu and Soni are reportedly at loggerheads over the project and the GoM headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee was unable to reach a meeting point. While the Shipping Ministry wants to go ahead with the project, Soni has been insisting on a detailed archaeological survey as per international norms before taking any decision on the project which is being opposed by Hindu groups. http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/001200802280339.htm Congress in a bind over Setu Statesman News Service
NEW DELHI, Feb. 27: The Congress leadership continues to be in double bind over the contentious Sethusamudram ship canal project issue, trying hard to take into account the unrelenting pro-project demands of its key UPA ally, the DMK, without hurting Hindu sentiments. This balancing act is to be reflected by the Manmohan Singh government’s affidavit before the Supreme Court, even as the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) will meet again tomorrow to finalise the affidavit to be filed in the court by 5 March when the case again comes up for hearing. Yesterday, the CCPA, headed by the PM, had firmed up the government’s draft affidavit and stand to be taken before the apex court, which would reportedly reconcile the government’s pro-project plea with politically-correct pitch about people’s religious sentiments while leaving the issue to be determined by the court in the larger interest of society. In an election year, the Congress leadership could barely afford to upset religious sensitivities that might trigger any religion-based polarisation against the party. On the other hand, its dilemma also stems from the fact that it could not turn a blind eye to the DMK’s staunch advocacy for the project. The ambitious ship channel project off Tamil Nadu coast, proposed to link India with Sri Lanka, is mired in controversy over a tiny portion of its current alignment cutting through Adam’s Bridge, which is also known as Ram Sethu ~ an undersea mythical bridge believed by some quarters, including the Sangh Parivar, to be the Sethu, as depicted in the epic Ramayana, built by Lord Ram with the help of his simian warriors to reach Lanka to rescue Sita from the Kind Ravana. The Supreme Court is hearing petitions challenging the project on various grounds. Quoting various technical and scientific studies, the government has maintained that Ram Sethu is a “natural formation” and not a “man-made structure”, but this time round it will steer clear of its last year’s bungling when an ASI affidavit had questioned the very historicity of Ram’s existence to debunk such claims by various Hindu groups. Sharp differences have, cropped up between the Congress and the DMK and even within the Congress. After getting her hands singed by the controversy, the culture minister Mrs Ambika Soni has become extremely cautious.http://thestatesman.org/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=192801 Cong to choose middle path on Sethu
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi (Pioneer, Feb. 28, 2008)
Walking the political tightrope on Sethusamudram issue, which has been a bone of contention between the Congress and its UPA ally DMK, the former said on Wednesday that the Government would strike a balance between emotional sensitivities and development, giving the first indication that there could be a possibility of a realignment of the project. A day after the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) discussed the draft affidavit to be filed in the Supreme Court by the first week of March, Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said: “The next date of hearing on the matter in the Supreme Court is March 5 and the Government will try to reconcile these two imperatives and see that a way is found so that both development and emotional sensitivities are taken care of.” The draft affidavit was circulated in the CCPA and a copy was given to allies, including DMK’s TR Baalu, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. According to top Congress sources, a copy has also been sent to DMK chief M Karunanidhi. The UPA’s southern ally has been firm in putting pressure on the Government to go ahead with the project. While the DMK chief had triggered a major controversy by questioning the existence of Lord Ram, Baalu has repeatedly announced that the project would be completed by November 2008. Incidentally, when Karunanidhi was hounded by his political rivals for his diatribe against Lord Ram, his party had dropped hints it may not have objection to realigning the canal. Sources pointed out that if the Congress has its way it would want to postpone the issue till the next elections lest it should give the Opposition BJP an emotive issue. But the DMK has a lot at stake in Tamil Nadu with AIADMK opposing the project and party supremo J Jayalalithaa filing a petition in Supreme Court seeking to declare Ram Setu as an ancient monument. With the Congress indicating that a midway would have to be found between sensitivities and development, a new dimension has been added. A source said: “If DMK keeps on putting pressure, we could consider a realignment, which could keep everyone happy.” The Government is also trying its best to lob the ball in the Supreme Court. Speaking to mediapersons Tewari said: “he Government is a respondent before the court and it will put forth its point of view when the next date of hearing comes. But finally it is for the Supreme Court to take a decision on it,” he said. http://dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=front%5Fpage&file_name=story2%2Etxt&counter_img=2 Summary Central Government gasping ! Sharp differences of view among ministers ! To ask for more time from Supreme Court or to ask for vacating the stay order on any Setu channel project work on Ram Setu? Antony and some other ministers opined that political repercussions will be serious. Pranab Mukherjee said that since BJP cleared the project, that party cannot expect any political gain by opposing the project now. Two senior ministers said more time is needed to study the draft affidavit. On Thursday (28 Feb. 2007) Cabinet committee meeting may adjourn deliberations without any decision. k ராமர் பால பிரச்னையில் மத்திய அரசு திணறல்! அமைச்சர்களிடையே கருத்து வேறுபாடு (Dinamalar, Tamil daily, 28 Feb. 2008) புதுடில்லி :ராமர் பால பிரச்னையில் அமைச்சர்களிடையே கருத்து வேறுபாடுகள் எழுந்துள்ளதால், முடிவெடுக்க முடியாமல் மத்திய அரசு திணறி வருகிறது.சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட் விதித்த தடையை விலக்கக் கோருவதா அல்லது புதிய மனு தாக்கல் செய்வதா அல்லது மேலும் சில வாரங்கள் அவகாசம் கேட்பதா? என, பிரதமர் தலைமையில் இன்று நடக்கும் அமைச்சரவை கூட்டத்தில் முடிவாகலாம்.ராமர் பாலத்தை சிதைத்து சேது சமுத்திர திட்டத்தை நிறைவேற்றக் கூடாது என வலியுறுத்தி, சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டில் வழக்கு தொடரப்பட்டது. வழக்கை விசாரித்த சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட், ராமர் பாலம் உள்ள ஆதம்ஸ் பகுதியில் பணிகளை மேற்கொள்ள இடைக்கால தடை விதித்தது. இவ்வழக்கு தொடர்பாக சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டில் மத்திய அரசு தாக்கல் செய்த மனுவில், ராமர் இருக்கிறாரா என்பதே சந்தேகமாக உள்ளது என தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டதால், பெரிய அளவில் பிரச்னையானது. இதையடுத்து, திருத்தியமைக்கப்பட்ட புதிய மனுவை மீண்டும் தாக்கல் செய்வதாக சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டில் மத்திய அரசு உறுதி அளித்தது. மத்திய அரசு தரப்பில் தாக்கல் செய்யப் போகும் புதிய மனு எப்படி இருக்க வேண்டுமென்பதில், பெரிய குழப்பமும், சிக்கலும் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்த விவகாரத்தில், மத்திய அமைச்சர்கள் மத்தியிலேயே கருத்து வேறுபாடுகள் எழுந்துள்ளதால், முடிவு எடுக்க முடியாமல், பல வாரங்களாக இழுபறி நீடிக்கிறது. ரயில்வே பட்ஜெட் தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்ட அன்று மதியம், பிரதமர் மன்மோகன் சிங் தலைமையில் பார்லிமென்ட் அலுவலகத்தில் மத்திய அமைச்சர்கள் பிரணாப் முகர்ஜி, சிதம்பரம், சிவராஜ் பாட்டீல், பாலு, அந்தோணி, கபில்சிபல், பரத்வாஜ் மற்றும் அம்பிகா சோனி ஆகியோர் பங்கேற்ற ஆலோசனைக் கூட்டம் நடைபெற்றது.அப்போது, அரசு தரப்பில் சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டில் தாக்கல் செய்யப்படப் போகும் புதிய மனு பற்றிய விவரங்களை முழுமையாக படிக்க வேண்டும் என, இரண்டு மூத்த அமைச்சர்கள் கேட்டுக் கொண்டனர். இதனால், கூட்டத்தில் எந்த முடிவும் எடுக்கப்படவில்லை.இந்நிலையில், சேது சமுத்திர திட்ட விவகாரம் குறித்து இறுதி முடிவு எடுக்க, பிரதமர் மன்மோகன் சிங் தலைமையில் இன்று மத்திய அமைச்சரவை கூட்டம் நடக்கிறது.சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டில், புதிய மனு தாக்கல் செய்யும் விஷயத்தில் காங்கிரஸ் கட்சிக்குள் கருத்து வேறுபாடு உள்ளது. வாஜ்பாய் அரசு அனுமதித்த திட்டம் என்பதால், எல்லாரும் நினைப்பது போல ராமர் பால விவகாரத்தை கையில் எடுத்து அரசியல் லாபம் தேடி விட முடியாது என்று பிரணாப் முகர்ஜி சொல்கிறார். ஆனால், அமைச்சர் அந்தோணி உட்பட சில அமைச்சர்களோ, ராமர் பால பிரச்னையை எளிதாக எடுத்துக் கொள்ள முடியாது. அரசியல் பின்விளைவுகளை ஏற்படுத்தும் என்று கூறுகின்றனர்.ஆளாளுக்கு ஒரு கருத்தைச் சொல்லி, மூத்த அமைச்சர்கள் இப்படி மோதிக் கொண்டிருப்பதால், இன்று நடக்கும் அமைச்சரவை கூட்டத்திலும் உறுதியான முடிவு எடுக்கப்படுமோ என்பது சந்தேகமே. இது தொடர்பாக அரசு வட்டாரங்கள் கூறியதாவது: சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டில் தாக்கல் செய்யப்போகும் மனு குறித்து ஆராய்ந்து முடிவெடுப்பதில், அரசுக்கு மிகப்பெரிய சிக்கல் உள்ளது. அரசு அமைத்த வல்லுனர்கள் குழு ஆய்வு செய்து அளித்த அறிக்கையின் படி பார்த்தால், ஆதம்ஸ் பகுதியில் கடலுக்கடியில் மனிதனால் செய்யப்பட்ட பாலம் போன்ற அமைப்புகள் எதுவும் இல்லை என்று தான் சொல்லப்பட்டுள்ளது. இருப்பினும், ராமர் மற்றும் ராமர் பாலம் போன்ற விஷயங்கள், மக்களின் நம்பிக்கை சார்ந்த விஷயம். இவ்விஷயத்தில் முடிவெடுக்கும் அதிகாரத்தை சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டுக்கே விடுவதாகக் கூறி மத்திய அரசு ஒதுங்கிக் கொள்ளலாம்.மேலும், சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டில் தாக்கல் செய்யப்போகும் புதிய மனுவை, எப்போது, எந்த தேதியில் தாக்கல் செய்வது என்பதிலும் அமைச்சர்களுக்குள் கருத்து வேறுபாடு நிலவுகிறது. எனவே, இரண்டு முறை வாய்தா கேட்டது போல, இம்முறையும் வாய்தா கேட்டு, பிரச்னையை முடிந்த வரை இழுக்கலாம். அதே நேரத்தில், சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டில் தற்போதுள்ள இடைக்கால தடையை நீக்கும்படி கேட்டு கோரிக்கை வைக்க வேண்டும் என்றும் மற்றொரு தரப்பில் யோசனை தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.எனவே, இன்றைய கூட்டத்தில் ஏற்கனவே உள்ள தடையை விலக்கும்படி கோருவதா அல்லது புதிய மனு தாக்கல் செய்வதா அல்லது மேலும் சில வாரங்கள் கால அவகாசம் கேட்பதா என்பதில் ஏதாவது ஒன்று முடிவாகலாம் அல்லது முடிவே எடுக்கப்படாமல் ஒத்தி வைக்கப்படலாம்.இவ்வாறு அரசு வட்டாரங்கள் தெரிவித்தன. http://dinamalar.com/2008FEB28/frontpage-news.asp?newsid=1
Setu: bucking affidavit, buck-passing. Will SC cook the hot potato?
February 27, 2008 by kalyan97Rama Setu: recurrent tsunamis of the past
February 27, 2008 by kalyan97Here is a remarkable scientific study by Prof. RK Gartia of Manipur University providing evidence for recurring tsunamis in historical and pre-historical periods near the Rama Setu region and along the Tamil nadu coastline from Mahabalipuram. This should provide for caution in undertaking projects like the project disaster called Setu mid-ocean channel and without examing the need for adequate tsunami protection walls along the vulnerable spots (as has been done on Japan coastline). The nation’s coastline should be safeguarded at all costs to save life and property of coastal/marine people of Bharatam.
Kalyanaraman 27 Feb. 2008
LUMINESCENCE DATING OF SOME HISTORICAL / PRE-HISTORICAL NATURAL HAZARDS OF INDIA by R.K. GARTIA*
Department of Physics, Manipur University, Canchipur, Imphal – 795 003 (INDIA)
Abstract (The full paper can be downloaded from http://hinduthought.googlepages.com/pasttsunamis.pdf )
The Indian sub-continent is characterized by host of natural hazards like earthquake, tsunami, cyclones, floods, landslides / mudflows. It is necessary to build-up a database of historical / pre-historical natural hazards for planning scenarios for emergency response to various them. In short, there is a vast scope of providing chronology to hazardous events by using known techniques of dating including luminescence dating which has an excellent window span down from few hundred years to one hundred thousand years. In this work we report the dates of some historical / pre-historical natural hazards of India. In particular we focus on three kinds of natural hazards namely, earthquakes, tsunami, and mudflows. For example of earthquake we cover a historical earthquake of Manipur that created two massive fissures at Kumbi, 25 Km from the state capital, Imphal. For pre-historical ones, we cover Assam-Shillong area known for its highest levels of seismicity in India. We demonstrate the evidence of a paleo-tsunami that devastated Mahabalipuram near Chennai. Incidentally, Mahabalipuram was badly affected by the great tsunami of 26th Dec 2004. Finally, luminescence dating technique has been applied to some historical / pre-historical mudflows of Manipur. A recent mudflow on 10th July 2004 damaged more than 90 houses, block National Highway-39, the life-line of Manipur for more than a fort-night.
“Proceedings of the third International Conference on Luminescence and its Applications” published by Macmillan India Ltd., 2008 as Advanced Research Series (ISBN 10: 0230-63468-0 ; ISBN 13: 978-0230-63468-8)
* E-mail: <rkgartia@yahoo.co.in>
Setu: excerpts from Centre’s draft affidavit
February 27, 2008 by kalyan97UPA’s draft affidavit wants SC to decide on Sethu
AMITAV RANJAN (Indian Express)
Posted online: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 0842 hrs IST
New Delhi, February 26:
Singed by the political firestorm over its last affidavit on Ram Sethu in which it questioned Ram’s existence, the UPA Government plans to pass the buck to the Supreme Court and take a dramatically different tack, as per its draft affidavit scheduled to be submitted to the Supreme Court early next month.
The affidavit of the Archaeological Survey of India and the Culture Ministry — that came up before the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs today — has cited scientific studies reinforcing the Government’s earlier stand that the structure isn’t man-made but has gone on to say that the ASI doesn’t have the expertise “either to support or contradict” this conclusion.
“It is thus prayed,” the affidavit concludes, “that the Court may pass appropriate orders/directions to all concerned which it may deem fit in larger interest of the society.”
Not just this, the affidavit quotes provisions of the Ancient Monuments & Archaeological Sites and Remains Act to state that “even a natural formation (existing for not less than 100 years) of historical, archaeological or artistic interest can be declared an ancient monument/site of national importance.” It, however, adds the rider that “without any formal archaeological study, no definite conclusion can be drawn.”
Now the Centre has to balance this affidavit with the demand made by ally DMK which has called for highlighting the role of the NDA in the project.
The draft affidavit, a copy of which has been obtained by The Indian Express, also elaborates on the “historical” and “artistic interest.”
“…Popular beliefs and traditions about the Ramayan and Ram Sethu have an antiquity of at least 1,500 years in the country” and of “400-500 years” in Tamil Nadu, the affidavit says. “the legend of Ram, in literature, philosophy and in religious sentiment occupies a significant place in the psyche of a larger segment of Indian society, and indeed, extends beyond our boundaries to a number of other countries.”
It adds: “The Ramlila, which is an oral and cultural tradition, has found place, as a proclamation of 2005, in a UNESCO list of 90 outstanding examples of the world’s intangible cultural heritage. Several events associated with the legend are celebrated as festivals and even declared as gazetted holidays. The ideal of Ram Rajya, espoused by Mahatma Gandhi, is a value system to strive for.”
Contrast this with the earlier statement in the affidavit that touched off a controversy and forced the Government to backtrack: “…contents of the Valmiki Ramayana, the Ramcharitamanas by Tulsidas and other mythological texts, which admittedly form an important part of ancient Indian literature… cannot be said to be historical record to incontrovertibly prove the existence of the characters, or the occurrence of the events, depicted therein.”
On the issue of the Sethu being an “ancient monument” based on “available archaeologically relevant scientific data”, the ASI has washed its hands of saying it had not undertaken any archaeological investigation to decide on it.
On the findings of the Geological Survey of India, the Space Application Centre and the National Institute of Ocean Technology that the formation was not a man-made structure, the affidavit says: “…the related disciplines are not within the purview of the ASI and as such the ASI does not have the required expertise either to support or contradict the conclusions derived at.”
The affidavit quotes the Committee of Eminent Persons — a panel set up by the Government — saying it considered all objections and suggestions and “found no merit in the demand to declare the structure as a monument of national importance as the structure was a “naturally-occurring formation and not man-made”. It said that only sites/structures whose existence and importance have been established were entitled for declaration as national monument.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/UPA-s-draft-affidavit-wants-SC-to-decide-on-Sethu/277658/
Setu: politicking for ’secular’ affidavit
February 27, 2008 by kalyan97UPA tries to bring allies on board over sethu issue
Political Bureau (Financial Express)
Posted online: Tuesday , February 26, 2008 at 2217 hrs IST
New Delhi, Feb 26 Intending to spread out possible political costs incurred while pushing ahead with the Sethusamudram project in Tamil Nadu, the UPA leadership on Tuesday sought to bring all major alliance partners into the accountability frame by seeking their views on the contentious issue.
Party leaders of all major allies were handed over a draft affidavit on the Rama Sethu issue at a meeting of the cabinet committee on political affairs (CCPA) convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday afternoon. The affidavit is to be submitted before the Supreme Court on March 5. Alliance partners have been told to give their views on the issue by Thursday.
The draft affidavit, party circles asserted, has taken the line that the Rama Sethu is not a man made structure but a natural formation. This line concurs with the stand taken by the experts committee that was set up by the government to look into whether the Sethu connecting the Indian coast and Sri Lanka is man made or not. The issue turned into a controversy after a previous affidavit filed by the culture ministry before the Supreme Court made references to existence of Lord Ram.
Earlier, a meeting of the group of ministers (GoM) headed by external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee to look into the issue had failed to reach at an agreement with culture minister Ambika Soni walking out of one of the meetings. In the GoM deliberations, the shipping ministry had signaled that it wanted to go ahead with the project while Soni had insisted on detailed archaeological survey as per international norms before taking any decision on the project, opposed by the BJP.
Soni had walked out of the meeting in protest against shipping minister TR Baalu’s charge that she was coming in the way of the implementation of the Rs 2,287 crore project. The matter was finally put before the CCPA.
Setu row: Govt to steer clear of ‘faith’ issue
27 Feb 2008, 0246 hrs IST
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TNN (Times of India)
NEW DELHI: The Manmohan Singh government hopes to defuse the Sethusamudram mine by arguing that evidence so far points to the Adam’s Bridge structure between Dhanuskodi and Sri Lanka not being man-made and that the alignment of the proposed shipping canal must be guided by expert opinion.
The government has found itself in a jam after its “Ram-did-not-exist” affidavit in the SC last year kicked up a political storm. This time around, it is preparing to adopt a much more cautious approach when the case next comes up in the apex court on March 5 by arguing that it was going by the “available” evidence on the Ram Setu formation.
The matter was considered by the Cabinet Committee of Political Affairs on Tuesday and while no firm decision has been arrived at, the approach of the government seems to be to leave it to the SC to decide on the petition challenging the project on grounds of “faith” rather than to commit itself to a position on this score.
Senior sources pointed out that while the petitioner had demanded a study to evaluate the nature of Ram Setu, there was no reason for government to be proactive in the matter. The government will be expected to state that it was taking forward a project initiated by the NDA and that the current “alignment no 6″ was the one found to be feasible.
While the government will argue that it is more for the technical experts to decide on the alignment of the canal.
The Tourism and Culture Ministry had already hinted that the “cultural” aspect of the controversy will need to be considered as well.
Draft affidavit finalised on Sethu issue
(The Hindu) New Delhi (PTI): In a balancing act, the government on Tuesay finalised a draft affidavit on the controversial Sethusamudram issue aimed at addressing the concerns of key constituent DMK without hurting Hindu sentiments.
A day after the Group of Ministers (GoM) on the issue met without any conclusion, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA), chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, met on Tuesday to take a view on the affidavit to be filed before the Supreme Court.
A draft affidavit was considered at the meeting which decided to meet again after a few days allowing for all the constituent parties to consider it.
Sources said the new affidavit, for which the apex court has given time till next month for filing, would be “secular” in nature without disturbing the proposed alignment of the shipping project in the Palk Straits.
Unlike the last time when the government referred to issues like Lord Ram in the affidavit that created a controversy, the present one would consciously avoid any such references.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200802262069.htm
Sethu decision put off (Economic Times)
27 Feb, 2008, 0224 hrs IST, TNN
NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, which met on Tuesday to finalise the Centre’s position on the Sethusamudram issue, has deferred a decision on the matter in light of sharp differences within the ruling alliance. The government has to decide on the stand it should adopt before the Supreme Court on the question of continuing with work on the ship channel.
The top leadership of the UPA is now set meet again on Thursday to take a final call on whether the government affidavit, to be submitted to the apex court in the first week of March, should ask for the vacation of the stay order on construction work of the ship channel project though the Adam’s bridge or Ram Sethu (the bridge mentioned in the epic Ramayana). The court had given the Centre four weeks to file its affidavits in the case on January 31.
The DMK is putting pressure on the Centre to complete the implementation of the project at the earliest. It has become a matter of prestige for the Dravidian outfit with opposition AIADMK opposing the project staunchly. DMK’s allies in Tamil Nadu and at the Centre, such as the PMK as well as the Congress itself, have however not shown the same enthusiasm for the move but Left parties are backing the DMK stand.
Shipping minister T R Baalu’s supporters are citing pressure from the DMK and the Left to argue that the government must ask for the Supreme Court to vacate its stay order. They are also arguing that if the government does not ask the Apex Court to vacate its stay order it would be akin to agreeing with the BJP line that it is a matter of “faith” and accepting the Opposition party’s stand on the Ram Mandir question.
(Deccan Chronicle)
Chennai, Feb 26: The ruling United Progressive Alliance remains divided over dredging for the controversial Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project even as the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA), chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, met at Delhi Tuesday evening and finalised a draft affidavit for submission to the Supreme Court.
While the DMK insists on going ahead with the project, the Congress is not so keen for fear of hurting the Hindu sentiments as the present alignment threatened Rama Sethu, the legendary bridge believed to have been built by Hanuman’s monkey brigade to help Lord Rama cross over to Lanka to rescue Sita from Ravana.
Nevertheless, a source said the CCPA had now decided on a draft affidavit that would satisfy the DMK without hurting the Hindu sentiments. This would be difficult since satisfying the DMK would mean resuming the dredging along the present alignment and that is bound to ruffle the Hindu feelings—a risky proposition as five states with strong BJP presence are coming up for elections. The Congress had fared disastrously in the recent polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
The Group of Ministers (GoM), constituted by Prime Minister Singh sometime back to tackle the Sethu issue, had met on Monday but failed to reach a consensus on the affidavit to be presented to the Supreme Court. It is well known that Shipping Minister T. R. Baalu of the DMK has been at loggerheads with Culture Minister Ambika Sonia of the Congress with regard to the alignment. The former is keen on resuming the dredging without disturbing the present alignment and Ms Soni has been insisting on having a detailed archaeological survey of an international standard before taking any decision on resuming the dredging. Otherwise, the Hindus would be upset, she reasoned.
Mr Baalu’s boss and the DMK chief minister M. Karunanidhi, in proclaiming his atheism, had caused a furore among the Hindus questioning their opposition to the SSCP and demanding to know whether Lord Rama was an engineer to have built the bridge. In which college had Rama studied his engineering, asked the DMK chief. In the process, he supplied potent ammunition for the Sangh Parivar to demolish the Congress in the Gujarat and HP polls. The Congress would not want a repeat in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand.
The GoM meeting on Monday was no better than the previous session that ended sore with Ms Soni walking out, reportedly humiliated by Mr Baalu accusing her of derailing the Tamils’ dream project. Since no consensus emerged at the Monday meet, it was decided to refer the matter to the Prime Minister who in turn called the CCPA to resolve the issue, it is said.
The CCPA, according to a source, decided to pick up the draft affidavit prepared sometime back by the Cabinet Secretariat to inform the Supreme Court that an expert committee, constituted as per the court directive, had concluded that Rama Sethu, also known as the Adam’s Bridge, was a natural formation and not man-made. The head of the expert committee, Prof S. Ramachandran, vice-chancellor of the University of Madras, was handpicked by Minister Baalu.
The Supreme Court had stayed the dredging of the Rama Sethu on August 31 last year on a petition from the Janata party president and former Union Minister Dr Subramaniam Swamy, who had alleged, among other things, arbitrariness in the decision to choose the present alignment for dredging through the Rama Sethu when an expert committee had earlier recommended half-a-dozen alternative options. The government was to go back to the court with the recommendation of the Ramachandran committee, which was handed over to Mr Baalu in November last year.
On January 31, the Apex Court had granted four weeks extension to the Centre to file the affidavits (based on the expert committee report) and this deadline would expire first week of March. That explains the urgency in the UPA deliberations to evolve a consensus that would restart the Sethu project without causing too much of a damage to the Hindu vote while keeping the DMK in good humour.
http://www.deccan.com/chennaichronicle/home/homedetails.asp#UPA%20still%20divided%20over%20Sethu
Setu: Govt to go ahead with project — CCPA
February 26, 2008 by kalyan97Govt to go ahead with Sethu project
Sunil Prabhu
Tuesday, February 26, 2008 (New Delhi)
Under pressure from its southern allies the government on Tuesday in a draft affidavit said it wants the project to go ahead, but a final decision will be taken the day after tomorrow.
The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on Tuesday agreed upon a draft affidavit that says the project to dredge a shipping canal between India and Sri Lanka should go ahead without any change in alignment.
The draft also asks the court to vacate its stay on the project and dismiss a petition that said the project would harm the Ram Sethu.
According to sources, the culture ministry’s objections in the meeting were overruled because no scientific exploration has been done to establish whether the Ram Sethu is natural or manmade.
The government has to submit the affidavit in Supreme Court by March 5.
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080042422&ch=2/26/2008%206:18:00%20PM
Centre plays balancing act in new Ram Setu affidavit
New Delhi: The Union Government has finally decided to delete the objectionable portions from the affidavit on the Ram Setu project in a move aimed at addressing the concerns of key constituent DMK without hurting Hindu sentiments.
The government is expected to submit the new affidavit before the Supreme Court by March 14.
At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the government circulated a draft copy of the affidavit to its allies. The final version of the affidavit will be prepared only later this week after the Cabinet meets again.
The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA), chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, met on Tuesday to take a view on the affidavit after the Group of Ministers on the issue failed to reach any conclusion on Monday.
A CCPA will meet again to consider the issue after all the constituent parties have had their say on the same.
Sources said the new affidavit, which needs to be filed before the apex court by next month, would be ’secular’ in nature without disturbing the proposed alignment of the shipping project in the Palk Straits.
Unlike the last time when the government had referred to issues like Lord Ram in the affidavit creating a controversy, the present one would consciously avoid any such references.
The government had been forced to withdraw the earlier affidavit, which had said that Ram was a mythical character. The government had asked the Supreme Court for an extension in the deadline to file a fresh affidavit.
Rama Setu: GoM deadlocked, no decision yet
February 26, 2008 by kalyan97Deadlock over Ram Setu persists; GoM fails to take decision
25 Feb 2008, 2047 hrs IST
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PTI
NEW DELHI: The deadlock over the controversial Sethusamudram project appears to persist, with a Group of Ministers (GoM) set up to resolve the issue on Monday failing to finalise the Centre’s stand on it.
“Nothing has been finalised yet. It will take some more time,” Shipping Minister T R Baalu told reporters after the meeting of the GoM headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Baalu and Culture Minister Ambika Soni are reportedly at loggerheads over the Sethusamudram project.
While the Shipping Ministry wants to go ahead with the project, Soni has been insisting on detailed archaeological survey as per international norms before taking any decision on the project which is being opposed by Hindu groups.
“I have submitted my views on the project in writing,” Soni said after the meeting.
She, however, refused to divulge any details on what transpired in the meeting that was also attended by Law Minister H R Bharadwaj, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal and Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
The Supreme Court on January 31 granted another four weeks extension to the Centre to file affidavits related to the project and these have to be filed by the first week of March.
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080042350
Reasons for deeming Rama Setu as World Heritage Monument
February 20, 2008 by kalyan97Respect peoples’ sentiments, recognize Rama Setu as cultural heritage – Dr. Swamy
Dr. Swamy highlights in his statement (appended) the move to declare Majuli as a natural and cultural heritage site of the world.
So is Rama Setu a cultural heritage site, an underwater cultural heritage which needs protection under the international UNESCO convention to which India is a signatory (details given below).
Yes, Majuli is the largest river island in the world and is in the Brahmaputra river. http://www.majuli.info/majuli_island.jpg
Majuli, the largest river island in the world, is a civil sub-division of Jorhat District. It is located 20 km. off Jorhat town (Asom, India). It is a pollution free fresh water island. Total area of the island was 1250 sq.km., now it is about 650 sq.km.
Its length from east to west is about 90 km. & width from north to south is avg. 16 km. Majuli is a natural & cultural heritage site. With water bodies covering most of the areas , Majuli attracts plenty of birds both local & migratory.
About 25—26 Satras are remaining now in Majuli of which the Satras of Kamalabari, Auniati & Garmur are worth mentioning. These Satras are propagating the religious ideology of great Assamese medieval Vaisnavite Saint Sankardeva & Madhavdeva, preaching Satria culture.
http://www.majuli.info/ See also: http://www.majuli.org/
Government of India has submitted a proposal on 3 February 2004, to declare Majuli Island as World Heritage monument.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1870/
Biosphere Reserve under IUCN (The World Conservation Union) Commission on National Parks and Protected Areas
The Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve was established by the Government of India and the State of Tamil Nadu in 1989 and was the first marine protected area to be declared in South and South East Asia…The IUCN commission on National Parks and Protected Areas, with the assistance of UNEP, UNESCO and WWF, identified the Reserve as being an area of “particular concern” given its diversity and special multiple-use management status. The Reserve is among six areas chosen on the basis of its threatened status and richness in biological wealth and it is included in the action programme to save India’s protected areas for future generations. https://www.vedamsbooks.com/no29022.htm
World Heritage monuments: 22 cultural properties and 5 natural properties in India
(Map http://kalyan98.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/worldheritageproperties.gif )
The number of recorded sites on the World Heritage now stands at 812 which include both cultural and natural wonders, and endowment that is shared by all mankind and the protection of which is the concern of the entire mankind. These include 628 cultural, 160 natural and 24 mixed properties in 137 state parties. India is an active member State on the World Heritage from 1977 and has been working in close co-operation with other International agencies like ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites), IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) and ICCROM (International Centre for the study of Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property).
There are 27 World Heritage Properties in India out of which 22 are Cultural Properties and 5 are Natural Properties.
The natural properties are:
Chamoli: Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers national parks
Bharatpur: Keoladeo National Park
Manas: Manas Wild Life Sanctuary
Kaziranga: Kaziranga National Park
Sunderbans: Sunderbans National Park
http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs.asp
Underwater Cultural Heritage
Underwater Archaeology Wing of the Archaeological Survey of India was established in 2001.
Indiahas 7,516 km long coastline, 1197 islands and 155,889 sq. km of territorial waters and 2,013,410 sq. km exclusive economic zone. The vast water area of the country is rich in underwater cultural heritage. The importance of underwater archaeology was realized as early as in the VI five-year plan…
Adoption of “Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage” by UNESCO in 2001 displays the global concern about the protection and management of underwater cultural heritage. UAW has initiated steps for the protection and preservation of the underwater cultural heritage…Dr. Alok Tripathi Superintending Archaeologist
Underwater Archaeology Wing Archaeological Survey of India
http://asi.nic.in/asi_underw.asp
Many monuments have been declared as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, including underwater cultural heritage sites, for example:
Coiba National Park and its Special Zone of Marine Protection in Panama Tubbataha Reef
Marine Park in the Philippines
Kvarken Archipelago / High Coast in Sweden/Finland
Giant’s causeway and Causeway coast in UK
Great Barrier Reef in Australia
Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System in Belize
Mont St. Michel and its bay in France
Ha Long Bay in Vietnam
Matobo Hills in Zimbabwe
US court backs Indian tribe (Navajo) to prevent desiccation of a sacred mountain in USA
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20070312-1046-environment-navajos.html
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/
Dr. S. R. Rao, a pioneer in Marine Archaeology in India has written to the Govt. of India recommending that Rama Setu be declared an Underwater Cultural Heritage Monument and that ASI should undertake further exploration work.
SC should have noted that Madras HC Bench including CJ had on 19 June 2007 observed as follows:
Ancient monument
It would mean to be any monument which is very old having historic past or record. It can also be a stone, a post, a river etc. Thus in RAM SARUP VS STATE OF HARYANA (AIR 1993 PUNJAB AND HARYANA 204) a Division Bench of Punjab & Haryana High Court held that the ‘Brahm Sarovar’ is a very old historic place and it would clearly come both within the expression of ancient and historical monument, as defined in the 1958 Act…Court order: The Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Union of India is directed to file a counter affidavit explaining whether any study has been undertaken by the archaeological or any other concerned department in respect of Adams Bridge/Rama Sethu and whether the said bridge can be regarded as a national monument within the meaning of the 1958 Act. (In a 11-page judgement, Madras HC summarized the evidence submitted on Rama Setu).
STATEMENT OF DR.SUBRAMANIAN SWAMY, PRESIDENT OF JANATA PARTY MADE IN CHENNAI ON 21.02.2008
By two suicidal moves, the UPA at the Centre and the DMK at the Tamil Nadu level have destroyed the case they have been making in favour of the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project (SSCP):
(i) The first argument that they had been giving is that in a secular state committed to modern progress, religious sentiment cannot be a determinant factor in decision-making by the State. The DMK has been pressing this type of argument especially hard during the last 50 years.
This argument was however sabotaged by the DMK itself when the TN Government filed a review petition in the Supreme Court in the Jallikattu issue on January 15th this year and argued for permitting the wild bull race on the ground that the religious sentiment of the Madurai District population has to be respected. In Rama Setu matter, the religious sentiments of almost 1 billion Hindus of the nation is affected, not just two millions one district. Hence, the Rama Setu has to be protected.
(ii) Second, the Union Government has been taking the stand that Rama Setu is a ‘natural formation’ and not ‘man-made’ or constructed, and hence it is argued that the Setu cannot a heritage be or an ancient monument.
This argument has now been self-negated by the Union Government by its decision to declare the Majuli Island, a mid-river deltaic island in Assam’s Jorhat district and also to approach the UNESCO to declare the island as a “World Heritage” symbol because it is a “cultural landscape”! This destroys the ‘natural formation’ argument of the Government against Rama Setu.
Hence, my petition in the Supreme Court to save the Rama Setu is bound to succeed in the Apex Court. The SSCP is thus already “dead on arrival”.
Setu project: a debt trap, say experts
February 19, 2008 by kalyan97Sethu project will trap government in immeasurable debt: experts
Special Correspondent (The Hindu, Feb. 19, 2008)
They claim little attention has been paid to scientific and shipping data
Weight restrictions and slow speed in canal offer little gain for shipping industry
Hundreds of crores of rupees will be spent annually for maintaining clear waterway
CHENNAI: The Sethusamudram project will run the Indian government into immeasurable debt as little attention has been paid to scientific and shipping data, a panel of scientists and experts from the Coastal Action Network concluded at the release of their book on the project.
While weight restrictions and slow speed in the canal mean there is little gain for the shipping industry, hundreds of crores of rupees will be spent every year for maintaining a clear waterway against natural movement of sediment from India and Sri Lanka. This would aggravate tectonic plates in the quake-prone region, destroying sensitive ecologies and ruining the livelihoods of those dependent on fishing in the area.
Removal of natural barriers may also mean disasters such as cyclones and tsunamis, they claimed.
The panel, which included John Jacob Puthur, Commander (retired), Indian Navy; H. Balakrishnan, retired naval officer and master mariner, merchant navy; K. Gopalakrishnan, Director (retired), Geological Survey of India; R.S. Lalmohan, chairman, Conservation of Nature Trust, Nagercoil; and M. Arunachalam, Centre for Environment Sciences, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, urged the government to allow experts and the media access to the worksite to verify how much of the Rs.2,000-crore project had been completed.
“Fraudulent project”
“It is a fraudulent project,” Mr. Balakrishnan said. “As a mariner, it just does not make any nautical sense [to me].”
“When the time comes, we will come to Delhi, we will expose these anti-fisherfolk policies,” Anton Gomez, president of the National Union of Fishermen told The Hindu.
“And when elections come, we will not allow political parties into the coastline,” he said.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/19/stories/2008021953010500.htm
Setusamudram hey kaarasthan
February 19, 2008 by kalyan97Setusamudrahm hey kaarasthan (Marathi word meaning: place for conspiracies)
A few days ago, CM of Tamil Nadu spoke of conspiracy (caditittam) to scrap the Setu project.without naming the conspirators. Now, TR Baalu names a Union Minister as one of the conspirators; and this Minister protests being named part of the conspiracy.
Other conspiracies include the US Naval Operational Directive of 23 June 2005 just a week before the inauguration of the Setu p are well-known and documented. Why does the supercop want to convert these waters into international waters and why do the central govt. functionaries succumb to the supercop pressures?
And, how about the sea-sand godowns (and bail granted despite 19 FIRs) which have mushroomed in Setusamudram to export the mineral wealth contained in the sands, including thorium? How about Setusamudram being the nuclear resource zone of the world accounting for 32% of the world reserves of thorium?
How about the inaction of the government to prepare for the next devastating tsunami reported in Nature magazine of 6 Sept. 2007.
Conspiracies everywhere, Setusamudram hey kaarasthan.
k
Delhi Diary: Leakers-1, Jammers -0!
By a Sify correspondent
Monday, 18 February , 2008, 18:33
Baalu ko gussa kyon aata hain?
Rumours of a possible Cabinet reshuffle and his fall from favour with the powers that be in the UPA have these days makes Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, T R Baalu lose his temper at the smallest provocation.
At a recent meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on the Sethusamudram issue, Minister for culture and Tourism Ambika Soni was at the receiving end of Balu’s outburst. When Sonia said that the Archaeological Survey of India could not file an affidavit in the Supreme Court because it had itself conducted no study to establish whether the Adams Bridge or Ram Sethu was man-made or not, Balu openly accused her of “a conspiracy to block the project.” The outburst stunned every one, including Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee, who was presiding over the GoM. But before others could react, Soni stood up and walked out in a huff saying, “I am not here to be accused of a conspiracy!”
Setu project: TR Baalu publicly accuses Ambika Soni for the delay
February 18, 2008 by kalyan97Setu project: TR Baalu publicly accuses Ambika Soni for the delay
Monday February 18 2008 00:00 IST (Dinamani, Tamil daily)
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