New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday, August 29, asked the Centre to respond to a plea filed by former Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Subramanian Swamy, who has urged the government to declare the Ram Setu a national monument.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued a notice to the Union Ministry of Culture and agreed to hear the case, which has been posted for further hearing in four weeks. Senior advocate Vibha Dutta Makhija represented Dr. Swamy in court.
Ram Setu, also known as Adam’s Bridge, is a natural chain of limestone shoals connecting Pamban Island near Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu to Mannar Island in Sri Lanka. The structure has long held religious, cultural, and ecological significance, especially in Hindu mythology, where it is believed to have been built by Lord Rama’s army.
Dr. Swamy has been a vocal advocate for the protection of Ram Setu. He had earlier raised the issue in connection with the UPA-I government’s Sethusamudram Ship Channel project, which proposed cutting through the formation to create a navigable route. In 2007, the Supreme Court had put the project on hold due to widespread opposition.
The Centre had later acknowledged the potential “socio-economic disadvantages” of damaging Ram Setu and expressed its willingness to consider alternative routes for the channel.
With this latest plea, Dr. Swamy is now seeking formal recognition of the Ram Setu as a monument of national importance, a move that would grant it legal protection and possibly end any lingering uncertainty about its future.
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