Jayalalitha-led ADMK government on April 28, 2013 moved the Supreme Court to get the Sethusamudram project must be scrapped “as the project is of questionable economic value and not in [the] public interest.” In its affidavit, It said: “The project ought not to have been commenced without the concurrence of the State government and without any specific management plan to mitigate the adverse impact on fisheries.”
Referring to the Centre’s stand that the project be implemented as per the original alignment, Tamil Nadu said: “The project has a potential danger of affecting the livelihood of fishermen living in the area. The entire coastline and territorial waters of the area is also a rich trove of marine food resources. “The project is a serious threat to the biodiversity of the region and hence needs to be looked at fresh taking into consideration the economic viability, ecological impact and sensitive religious sentiments of the people of the country.”
Considering the extreme eco-fragility of the surrounding area and the Gulf of Mannar, the project was of questionable economic value and not in the public interest. It also sought to direct the Centre to declare Ram Sethu/Adam’s Bridge as a national monument and to restrain the Centre from undertaking any activity that would adversely affect Ram Sethu.
Thus by taking this stand on the dream project of Tamils, that too on behalf of Tamil Nadu government, Jayalalitha has rubbished the collective wisdom of tall political and social leaders, scholars, technocrats, environmentalists, economists, experts in navigation, trade and industry bodies of over 150 years since the British rule, including, to be more specific, the wisdom and vision of Arignar Anna, who is featured on their flag and their party also named after him, and MGR, whom she claims as her political mentor.
The Sethusamudram canal project is not the invention of the DMK or the UPA government at the Centre which approved and sanctioned funds for its execution. It has a history of over 150 years.
Although there were coast up to 3,554 nautical miles all over Indian sub-continent there was no facility for continuous sailing of ships in this region and for the shipping from the west coast to east coast, ships had to go around Sri Lanka. Because, between Rameswaram in southeast sea waters of India and Thalaimannar in Sri Lanka, there were sand dunes which is called as Adams bridge. In this area the sea is only 11 feet deep and ships had to go around because of this low depth.
Various plans were considered since 1860 even during the British rule for digging ‘Sethusamudram canal’ for facilitating shipping within Indian waters to reduce the shipping distance of the vessels. Proposals considered from the year 1860 onwards were: 1860 : Commander Taylor’s proposal, 1861 : Townsend’s proposal,1863 : Governor of Madras Presidency, His Excellency Sir William Denison’s proposal,1871 : Mr. Stoddart’s proposal, 1872 :Harbour engineer, Mr. Robertson’s proposal,1884 : Sir John’s proposal for the South India Ship Canal Port and Coaling Station Ltd,1903 : S.I. Railway Engineer’s proposal and 1922 :Harbour Engineer to Government of India Sir Robert Bristow’s proposal.
After India attained independence, the Government of India constituted the Sethusamudram Project Committee in 1955 with Sir A.Ramaswamy Mudaliyar as Chairman with S.K. Mukherji , Chief Commercial Superintendent, Sothern Railway, B.N. Chatterji, Retired Chief Engineer of Calcutta Port Trust and Capt. J.R. Davis, Nautical Advisor to Government of India as Members and R.A. Gopalaswamy ICS as Member Secretary to examine - the feasibility and desirability of connecting Gulf of Mannar with Palk Bay cutting a channel at the approaches to the Adam’s Bridge for enabling deep-sea ships to navigate from West to East coast of India, and - whether the construction of such a passage would increase the potentiality of the port of Tuticorin if it is to be developed into a deep-sea port. (Though Tuticorin Port was in existence for a very long time, ships had no berthing facilities and they had to be held in anchorage about 5 to 6 miles off the coast).
This committee made detailed investigations, collected particulars of volume of traffic, number of passages etc. They estimated a saving in distance of around 362 nautical miles, (in terms of voyage one and a half a day) and ensured a safe sheltered passage throughout the year. The committee was of strong view that the two projects namely the Sethusamudram Canal and Tuticorin Harbour were very closely inter-related and should be taken up and executed as part of one and the same project. They also found after careful evaluation of costs and benefits, the project was feasible and viable. This committee in 1956 recommended the project to be completed in the Second Five Year Plan itself.
When former Union Minister T.T. Krishnamachari contested from Tiruchendur Parliamentary constituency, he promised to get the projects implemented. Diraviyarathina Nadar, Rengasamy Nadar and traders of Tuticorin constituted the Tuticorin Port Development Committee on 8.3.1958 and this committee met the then Chief Minister Kamarajar and PWD Minister P. Kakkan. Tirunelveli M.P Thanu Pillai, M.Sankarapandian MP, Madurai P.T. Rajan and CPI MP K.T.K. Thangamani associated themselves in the tasks of this committee.
In 1958, this committee members went to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. P.T.Thanu Pillai MP, Chavalier J.L.P. Roach Victoria, M.Sankarapandian MP, former Municipal chairman S.Sankaranayana Pillai, M.M. Subramaniam, J.Wilfred Fernando, Subbaraman, A.Venkatachalam Iyer, P.Pon.Subbiah, Kalaithendral Thirunavukkarasu, N.Sivaraj MP, PT Rajan MLC, ‘The Mail’ daily correspondent N.A.Arockiyasamy and Port official G.M.Chikkaliagar found place in the delegation.
Now it is regrettable that due to the instigation of ADMK, some groups of fishermen were opposing this project. But J.L.P.Roach Victoria, who belonged to the community and was a respected personality in Tuticorin, Ponnusamy Vivarayar MLC and J.Wilfred Fernando supported this project in 1960s and pointed out that Tuticorin would prosper.
This delegation met Union Minister Rajbahadur in Delhi on 1.4.1958 and besides the Minister, higher officials of the Shipping Ministry discussed with them and later all of them met Shipping Minister S.K.Patil. Finally they met Prime Minister Nehru, presented a petition and demanded implementation of Tuticorin deep sea port and Sethusamudram projects. Nehru told them that there was no need for further deliberations, assured them that a new port in Tuticorin would be created and allocated Rs.5 crore for it. When this announcement of Nehru was broadcast by AIR the entire town of Tuticorin celebrated it.
On their return the delegation again met Kakkan and other State Ministers. On 2.4.1959, Nehru addressed a meeting at VOC College grounds Tuticorin, when he said the port would be formed. Chief Minister Kamarajar, APC Veerabahu, PS Ponnusamy Raja SSP Rengasamy Nadar and PSTS Diraviyarathina Nadar were present. It was on the same ground that when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi participated in the golden jubilee of the college in 1972, that Kalaignar, as the then Chief Minister, placed the demand for Sethu project, to look after the works of which Chief Engineer of Port Kovil Pillai was nominated.
The new port in Tuticorin was inaugurated by Prime Minster Lal Bahadur Sastri on5.11.1964, in which Kamarajar, Chief Minister M.Bhakthavatchalam and Speaker of the Assembly Chellapandian participated.
When the DMK stepped into the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1957, the demand for the project was raised in Parliament. K.T.Kosalram (Congress) and industrialist of Coimbatore G.K.Sundaram (Swatantra) pressed for the project in Parliament.
All these were the developments prior to the DMK assuming power in TN in 1967 led by Anna. After coming to power Anna announced ‘Uprising Day’ on 21.7.1967 and conducted public meetings throughout the State where resolutions were adopted for implementation of pending projects of the State.
Even before DMK came to power in TN, Arignar Anna delivered a lengthy speech in TN Assembly on Third Five Year Plan on 9.10.1960, in which he referred to Sethusamudram project in the following:-
“What we must firmly ask the Centre is what are the projects they are going to implement for the state? They must be categorically asked whether they are going to implement Sethusamudram project and Tuticorin expansion project or not? Now I earnestly ask the Minister. Your ability is well known to the people of the state. Only from the success you achieve in this, the people have to determine your ability hereafter. To study this and give report the Government of India appointed the best intellectual of our state Thiru. A.Ramaswamy Mudaliar. Keeping his study report and the controversy over figures of ten crore or fifteen crore we don’t know whether it could be added to the Third Five Year Plan. I once again ask this Ministry of TN. This government should courageously ask the Centre whether they are going to implement this project or whether we leave from this”.
Anna had spoken about this project like this even 50 years back in 1960. This project was pressed for in the resolutions of the DMK conferences in Tirupparankundram in 1961 and Virugambakkan in 1966. Only after the DMK came to power in 1967 the ‘Uprising Day’ was observed and Anna pressed for this project and Tuticorin deep sea port in the Assembly.
When the works of Tuticorin deep sea project slackened and efforts were made to convert it into a fishing harbour, Anna and Kalaignar as PWD Minister went to the place where the then Union Shipping Minister V.K.R.V.Rao was staying and met him. Anna took along with him the former Chief Minister M.Bhakthavatchalam and former Industries Minister R.Venkataraman, gave the assurance that if the port were to meet losses it would be borne by the State government and thus strove for the advent of Tuticorin deep sea port.
Even when MGR was the Chief Minister, a resolution was adopted in the Assembly on 10.5.1986 demanding the project. ADMK election manifestos for all elections – Parliament and Assembly polls – till 2004 demanded Sethusamudram project,
Questioning the collective wisdom of all the above mentioned leaders and panels, Jayalalitha even rubbished her own wisdom.
In a lengthy statement on 25.6.2005, besides pouring her usual scorns for the DMK and Kalaignar, she also claimed credit for the Sethusamudram project becoming a reality, saying,
“Everyone knows that I will never relent in my efforts to get major development projects for Tamil Nadu. It may be recalled that it was on the request of the late Puratchi Thalaivar M.G.R., that a Committee was constituted by the Government of India in 1981, to determine the feasibility of this Canal Project. While the Committee did find the project feasible, it was not taken up due to financial reasons. I raised this issue as a Member of the Rajya Sabha in 1984 and again in 1986 and stressed that the project should not be viewed merely in financial terms, but should be taken up keeping in view the national security concerns also.
On 10.5.1986, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly moved a Resolution demanding the implementation of the Sethusamudram Canal Project without any further delay. In July, 1991, as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, I presented a Memorandum to the then Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, insisting that the Sethusamudram Canal Project should be taken up. It was my Government, which entrusted a new study to M/s. Pallavan Transport Consultancy Services Limited in 1994, to prepare an updated feasibility report. This was completed in 1996. It was on my insistence that the Sethusamudram Canal Project was taken up as a priority project in 1998 and an initial Environmental Impact Study was entrusted to the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in March, 1998. This report was also made available in August, 1998. Thus, I have been instrumental in ensuring that the Sethusamudram Canal Project becomes a reality.”
But then she says, “At the same time, I have always maintained that extreme precaution should be taken before actually undertaking the project, in view of the fact that this is a unique ecologically sensitive zone with rich and rare biodiversity. Further, the zone where the Sethusamudram Canal Project is to be executed is a major fishing zone, which provides livelihood to lakhs of fishermen of Tamil Nadu. I have always maintained that before taking up the canal project, it has to be ensured by careful studies that their livelihood is not affected in any way. Any canal project, such as the Sethusamudram Canal Project involves massive dredging of the seafloor. It is elementary that in such an ecologically sensitive project, where disturbance of the seafloor is involved, maximum safeguards have to be provided after detailed evaluation. The impact on the fishing community has to be carefully evaluated and any damage to their livelihood prevented. Thus, there are very serious environmental issues relating to this project, which need careful study. The whole point is that while the project is most important, it can only be undertaken after great care and preparation, paying attention to all the environmental concerns.”
But the latest affidavit filed by her regime in the Supreme Court rejected this part of her statement also and wanted the project to be scrapped.
Meanwhile, the dredging works in the Palk straits for constructing the canal was going ahead in a fast phase. It is noteworthy that Jayalalitha, who raised a hue and cry over the project in 2005 during the inauguration of project work was conspicuously silent on it in 2006 prior to and during the Assembly elections in May that year. For the first time ADMK election manifesto for 2006 Assembly elections did not contain any reference to Sethusamudram project and Jayalalitha also did not raise the issue in her election campaign, fearing it will create a backlash. In fact Kalaignar in his election campaign launched attack on those opposing the Sethu project but Jayalalitha did not respond.
In fact until mid-2007, there was no other opposition to the project other than on environmental, ecological grounds and on livelihood of fishermen, which were all convincingly addressed and settled.
It was only after the Archeological Survey of India’s affidavit filed before the Supreme Court in mid-2007 in which some unnecessary paragraphs on Ram Bridge were included that the Sangh Parivar led by the BJP started their venomous communal campaign against the project. They planned to consolidate Hindu vote bank by whipping up frenzy like their earlier campaign on Ram janmabhoomi and Ram temple in Ayodya, in the run up for LokSabha election in 2009. Neither the Sangh Parivar nor Jayalalitha thought of so-called Ram Bridge all along the over a hundred and fifty years when the idea of Sethusamudram canal was mooted and discussed by many and a movement for the launch of project was conducted in Tamil Nadu. Even Poet Bharathiyar envisaged infringing and elevating the Adams bridge and laying a road across Palk straits in his poem, “nrJit nkLW¤Â Å rik¥ngh«.”
Jayalalitha too joined this chorus on Ramar bridge suddenly.
The Indian Express on September 13, 2007 reported under the headline ‘Jaya toes BJP lines’,
“ADMK supremo J Jayalalitha on Thursday tailored her stand on the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (SSCP) to suit that of the BJP, insisting that the project be implemented without demolishing the Ram Sethu. Until now, Jayalalitha had stoutly opposed the project on the grounds that it would affect the livelihood of fishermen as well as destroy the rich marine biodiversity in the Palk Bay area.
Jayalalitha’s sudden volte face and the obvious strains within the UNPA of which she is one of the chief architects, has political circles abuzz that she might be moving closer to the BJP. While the ADMK and BJP struck up an alliance for the 2004 Lok Sabha election, the two parties faced a total rout with the DMK-led combine winning all the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone Pondicherry seat.
In a statement, Jayalalitha said the Sethusamudram Project be implemented without demolishing the Ram Sethu. She pointed out that in the past, several committees and experts had given four or five alternative schemes to implement the project without demolishing the bridge. “The Centre should explore the possibility of one of the alternative schemes and implement the project without damaging the Ram Sethu,” she said.”
Leave alone the future generations, can even the present generation forgive this lady-bundle of contradictions?
When Jayalalitha regime has taken such a stand against the widely acknowledged dream project of Tamils, what is the role of other opposition parties which had welcomed it in the past?
On the day of the inaugural function at Madurai, what did the leaders of many parties spoke on the occasion?
The Sethusamudram project inaugural function at Madurai on 2 July 2005 was flooded with people from all over southern districts. The then Union Minister for Shipping T.R.Baalu presided over the function. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh inaugurated the works of the Project in the presence of Kalaignar and Tmt. Sonia Gandhi. The then Governor of Tamil Nadu Surjit Singh Barnala participated as special guest and only representative of the state government. The then Union Ministers P. Chidambaram, Dhayanidhi Maran, A. Raja, Anbumani Ramadoss, Mani Sankar Iyer and K.H.Muniyappa and leaders of political parties in TN, the then President of TNCC G.K.Vasan, MP, Dr. Ramadoss, Vaiko, N. Varadharajan, D.Pandian and K.M. Khader Moideen MP also participated in the function and spoke.
MDMK General Secretary Vaiko in his speech said, “it is most fitting that this festival is being conducted in the same month of July when in 1967, Anna observed ‘Uprising Day’ saying “Let Sethu canal be created, and rich Tamil Nadu prosper” (nrJfhšthŒmika£L«, brªjäœehLbrê¡f£L«). This is a project for which Naam Tamilar Iyakkam leader S.P.Adityan and Congress’s K.T.Kosalram raised voice. This is a project for which my dear elder brother Kalaignar beat drum in the Assembly in 1958 itself. A project for which Anna in the same Assembly gave a clarion call why the Centre was delaying implementation of the report of Dr. Ramaswamy Mudaliar Committee. Due to the pressure of Perunthalaivar Kamarajar, Pandit Nehru announced the project on September 12,1963. A project that the then Prime Minister Vajpayee announced that the Centre would implement at the Thanthai Periyar, Arignar Anna birth anniversary Renaissance Rally on September 15,1998. For 24 years raising voice in parliament to the full of my energy, and because of the effort of my dear elder brother Kalaignar in 2004 when Dr. Manmohan Singh and Pranab Mukherjee took up the task of drafting the CMP they were told to include this project and they accepted and included this project. This day when it is inaugurated is a happy occasion. The name of Dr. Manmohan Singh who has allocated Rs.2427 crore for this canal of Tamils which will be renown like Panama canal and Suez canal, will find place on inscriptions of time”.
The then Union Minster Anbumani Ramadoss of PMK said ‘All Tamil hearts were yearning for this day. This day is a very important day. In history this is a very important day for all Tamils. More than that our leader of Tamil Nadu very much strove for getting this project for TN that dream is becoming real today. In the last one year the UPA government has been doing lot of achievements for TN and the most important of them is this project.”
The then TNCC President and now Union Minister G.K. Vasan said,” The UPA government led by the Congress is today implementing the long time dream of Tamils Sethusamudram project. This is a glory for TN. This project is a basic project that will make TN as the first state in the coming years. I would like to thank Kalaignar who effectively raised voice for that and Prime Minister and leaders of parties.”
The former State Secretary of the CPM N. Varadharajan said “I convey my greetings to this function. This is a time when people of India are fighting against poverty. The works of this project should be useful for that struggle. This project must be developed into one creating employment opportunities. All should cooperate for the implementation of a good project.”
Speaking on behalf of the CPI D. Pandian said ”This is a good festive day. A good day when a project lying stagnant is inaugurated. A day when the child conceived in the womb for 145 years is born. Although it is canal that will be dug today it will stimulate economic change and development of this TN and help develop the economy of India. It will reduce the time of ships coming around. Hence this is a good news for the country. Some think that if they close their eyes the world will turn dark. But here the function is being held in an excellent manner.”
Having thundered so much then, why are these parties keeping quite now when Jayalalitha government has developed tenacity to move the Supreme Court for scrapping the project that too on an obscurantist and superstitious ground?
The CPM in the past even conducted movement for expediting the works of the project but now both communist parties have not protested against the move of ADMK regime. After DMK Treasurer Thalapathi M.K.Stalin repeatedly questioned ‘Walkathon’ Vaiko for keeping mum now after delivering a heroic speech at the inaugural function, he has responded at Madurai in a press meet, that too after he was quizzed by reporters. He has ‘mildly’ said that Ramar bridge was the stand of ADMK and the MDMK stood for the project but in the same breath ranted his usual anti-DMK rhetoric. Even though the Congress party is committed to the project, their leaders in TN have not protested against the State government stand.
How can posterity forgive such opportunist stands of these parties on such crucial issue?
Last but not the least is the role of media, particularly the English media. Most of them, except avowed communal dailies, have a tradition of taking secular stand and have played appreciable role in exposing Ramjanmabhoomi movement, demolition of Babari Masjid, the post-Godhra anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat and the attacks of Sangh Parivar on art and cultural diversity.
But what about their indeed shameful role in Tamil Nadu? Had it been any other government acrimoniously frittering away tax money of the people by colossally discarding an aesthetic structure constructed for a specific purpose at a cost of Rs.800 crore by the previous rule or an expressway at a cost of Rs.1,600 crore for the benefit of the city and industry etc, will these dailies and television channels play them down? And now because of the acquiescent attitude of the media in the State, this regime has developed such an audacity to move the Supreme Court for scrapping a unique infrastructure project that will change the face of Tamil Nadu and the nation as a whole. The media houses cannot be complacent that their shameful role will not go down in history because of their self-imposed censorship because the future generations will unearth truth with all the technological means they will possess. So, they too cannot escape the curse of the posterity? r
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