NE to protest against Ram Sethu demolition

Guwahati, Dec 22 (UNI) More than 10,000 people from North East will join the over 35 lakh people in New Delhi on December 30 to protest the government's move to demolish the historic Ram Sethu.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Lakshmi Dutta, NE coordinator of Rameswaram Ramsethu Raksha Manch, said, ''We will join our brothers from across the country in this 'Dilli Chalo' campaign and protest the demolition of this historic site.'' Terming the plan to demolish Ramsethu as a conspiracy of anti-Hinduism lobby, he said, ''The Congress and Left want to hurt the sentiments of the Hindus by demolishing this mythological structure.'' He pointed that even Sri Lanka had applied for World Heritage site status for the Ramsethu way back in 1976 and the UNESCO had evinced interest in it, but India's silence on the proposal ensured that the Ramsethu did not win the prestigious tag.

He backed the historical claim of the Ramsethu's existence with reports from the NASA, which clearly stated that the Ramsethu was a man-made structure and was 1,76,000 years old.

Central coordinator of the Manch Swami Deva Narayan Puri, also present at the press meet, stressed on the immense damage to the marine life that strives on the structure.

Lakhs of fishermen and other families indirectly dependant on the sea for the livelihood in the area would also be severely hit, he said.

Moreover, the 3.60 lakh tonne of thorium reserve on the sea bed below the Ramsethu structure would also become a major part of controversy if it is demolished, he added.

The government's decision to demolish the Ramsethu structure, believed to be remnants of the bridge built by lord Ram to rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana, had led to agitation across the country and the government was forced to put on hold the plans.

It planned a canal over the present route of the Ramsethu.

UNI