[GOTFIVEONIT]

Buddha calls Ram 'fictional', BJP sees red

Saturday, 08 December 2007

Calcutta, India December 08: From Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi to his West Bengal counterpart Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, suddenly the Ramu Setu makes them speak the same language.

After Karunanidhi questioned Ram's historical basis, it's now Buddhadeb's turn to argue that Ram is, indeed, a fictional character.

The Chief Minister quotes from Rabindranath Tagore to make his point.

"What is the historical evidence behind Ram's birth? Where is the proof that The Ramayana is history and Ram is a historical character? The birth of Ram and the birth of The Ramayana took place in the imagination of the poet,” said Buddhadeb.

The Chief Minister’s statements, made ahead of a Viswa Hindu Parishad programme in Kolkata to “save” the Ram Setu assume even more significance.

The attempt to preempt a VHP footing inside the Marxist fortress could invite some undue attention and create added discomfort for the CPM.

Rarely do you get hear the chant 'Jai Ram' in Calcutta. Buddhadeb's anxiety is understandable. A large number of people are converging in central Calcutta to touch this 'sacred' stone from Ram Setu. Five such chariots will bring in Ram Setu supporters.

"If an individual, in his attempt to hold on to his seat of power, makes a statement, would the world accept that?” asked VHP leader Mahendra Kumar Sharma, Secretary, West Calcutta VHP.

In New Delhi, the BJP took strong exception to Buddhadeb's remark. “What has been said is an offence under the law,” said senior BJP leader L K Advani.

It's a worried administration in Calcutta. After riots engulfed the city over controversial author Taslima Nasreen, the administration has been taking no chances. There will be strong security arrangements for Saturday's Ram Setu rally.

-Agencies

[kenneth]

Originally Posted by GOTFIVEONIT

Buddha calls Ram 'fictional', BJP sees red

Saturday, 08 December 2007

Calcutta, India December 08: From Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi to his West Bengal counterpart Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, suddenly the Ramu Setu makes them speak the same language.

After Karunanidhi questioned Ram's historical basis, it's now Buddhadeb's turn to argue that Ram is, indeed, a fictional character.

The Chief Minister quotes from Rabindranath Tagore to make his point.

"What is the historical evidence behind Ram's birth? Where is the proof that The Ramayana is history and Ram is a historical character? The birth of Ram and the birth of The Ramayana took place in the imagination of the poet,” said Buddhadeb.

The Chief Minister’s statements, made ahead of a Viswa Hindu Parishad programme in Kolkata to “save” the Ram Setu assume even more significance.

The attempt to preempt a VHP footing inside the Marxist fortress could invite some undue attention and create added discomfort for the CPM.

Rarely do you get hear the chant 'Jai Ram' in Calcutta. Buddhadeb's anxiety is understandable. A large number of people are converging in central Calcutta to touch this 'sacred' stone from Ram Setu. Five such chariots will bring in Ram Setu supporters.

"If an individual, in his attempt to hold on to his seat of power, makes a statement, would the world accept that?” asked VHP leader Mahendra Kumar Sharma, Secretary, West Calcutta VHP.

In New Delhi, the BJP took strong exception to Buddhadeb's remark. “What has been said is an offence under the law,” said senior BJP leader L K Advani.

It's a worried administration in Calcutta. After riots engulfed the city over controversial author Taslima Nasreen, the administration has been taking no chances. There will be strong security arrangements for Saturday's Ram Setu rally.

-Agencies

uuhhmmm. . . wow.

[Aryan_]

Originally Posted by GOTFIVEONIT

Buddha calls Ram 'fictional'

How hypocritical.

[Synner]

Originally Posted by Aryan_

How hypocritical.

Sure, but not surprising, really. All religions make these claims. Each claim to be the only way to god, that the others are wrong, and all use some form of mind control to gain and keep their members. Christianity and Islam use heaven and hell, the concept of sin, a corrupted nature no one can escape, the requirement of a savior to ameliorate the gap between gods and men. Reincarnation is the device used by Buddhism and Hinduism, wherein the "punishment" is a repeatable life that would stress the soul in ways it stressed other in its previous life. Every religion cloaks itself under dynamics which affects commercial life (tithing for instance), educational (teaching the doctrine of the religion is inerrant even in the face of overwhelming proof contrary to the religious doctrine), and psychological (gods with a vested interest in the behaviors of men, who can see their sins, who are able to mete out justice -- all of these are severe and inescapable mental leveraging that dictate human behavior-- i.e., psychologies).

No religion claims itself secondary in comparison to its competition. That would dismantle the authority of every religion ("Well, we're sort of right," said the Dalai Lama, "But you know, maybe those Christians are really right." Uh, not likely.)

[GOTFIVEONIT]

Originally Posted by Aryan_

How hypocritical.

not really, since the comments made were by the chief minister of the state of west bengal which ruled by marxist communists. they are athiests. but if you mean the qoutes by tagore, who the chief minister was qouting, the auther of vande mataram (one of the biggest reasons stateed by the Muslim League for a seperate muslim homeland) then yes, you would be correct. its really amazing honestly, i mean this is not 1947 that we are talking about here, this is 2007, some 60 year's later. and i find his comments very interesting, because look at what babri masjid was demolished over? the supposed birthplace of rama. the bengali chief minister was simply taking the lead from comments made by the southern indian chief minister of the state of Tamil Nadu who made similar statements, because south indian hindus dont worship or rever north indian hindu dieties like ram. they are demons and villans for them in the south.

[Rain]

BJP won in the general election today.

[riad19]

Hinduism is mythology. Its as true as th existence of Zeus and his thunderbolts.