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‘Sethusamudram a stupid project…’: BJP TN chief Annamalai points out ‘multiple’ objections
New Delhi [India], January 26 (ANI): The BJP’s Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai has reiterated his claim that the ‘Sethusamudram’ waterway project ‘fails on multiple fronts’, one of which is the potential damage to the ‘Ram Setu’ (bridge), which according to the epic ‘Ramayana’ was created to rescue Sita from the clutches of Ravana.
In ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Annamalai said, “When the UPA government was in power, the DMK government wanted the ‘Setu Samudram’ project to be implemented. Under this project, ships can avoid a longer route around Sri Lanka and reach the Toothukudi port directly. The DMK said it (the project) will save money and attract cargo traffic towards India.”
The Sethusamudran project aims at creating a continuous, navigable route around the Indian peninsula, so that ships, instead of going around Sri Lanka because of the shallow water, can reach the Tamil Nadu coast directly, resulting in siginificant economic benefits to India, according to reports.<br />”It is the Adam’s Bridge in English and Ramarpalam in Tamil. It means Ram’s Bridge. Also called the ‘Ram Setu’ in Hindi, the 58-km-long landmass bridge connects India and Sri Lanka,” the BJP’s Tamil Nadu chief said.
He said the primary objection to the project is the potential damage to the ‘Ram Setu’.
“The DMK presented a drawing of an alignment ‘4A’ for the Setu Samudran project, which breaks through the Ram Setu. In 2018, the central government submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court, saying that it had an objection to the ‘4A’ alignment as it will destroy the Ram Setu and the Union government was considering other alignments where the ‘Ram Setu’ won’t even be touched,” he said.
He further alleged that the stand of the DMK and the Congress-led UPA has been that there is ‘nothing like’ Ram Setu and it is all a figment of imagination. The central government has been saying that it is not against the project, but will find some other alignment for it, he added.
“In January 2021, PM Modi set up a committee to scientifically study Ram Setu and the committee is functioning as of date,” he said.
The BJP’s Tamil Nadu chief also pointed to Union Minister Jitendra Singh’s reply in the Parliament regarding the Ram Setu.
“Recently in Parliament, Union Minister Jitendra Singh replied to a question on whether the connection of Ram Setu with Ramayana is confirmed. He replied that ‘structures’ do exist, but since they are 18,000 years old, as of now, the Ram Setu ‘bridge’ is not confirmed. But the structures do exist. The committee is functioning and will submit a report,” he said.<br />Targeting the DMK government further, Annamalai said, “The Tamil Nadu government picked one line of minister Jitendra Singh’s speech, saying that since the central government is itself saying that Ram Setu does not exist, we are implementing the project.”
“Even then, our members in the Assembly said we don’t have an objection to the project, but they should not go for alignment ‘4A’ as it will damage the Ram Setu bridge, and opt for other alignments,” he added.
The Tamil Nadu BJP chief said another objection to the project is that it will benefit only a few big DMK leaders and not the fisherfolk of the state.
“This 4A is a very stupid project. I am using the word ‘stupid’, because former CM Jayalalithaa had also used the same word,” he said.
“The sea between Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu is a very peculiar and shallow area. We have coral reefs and ‘Ram Setu’ there. In some areas, you can see the land below the water for kilometres. Every time, a ship has to come, the sand will come and close the route. So, a dredging operation has to be done for the ships to pass through the area,” he said.
Further citing former CM Jayalalithaa, Annamalai said as the dredging operation has to be continuous, huge ships won’t be able to come from this route and the project will fail.<br />”She said that it will only benefit two people — (DMK leader) TR Balu, who owns a shipping company and (fellow party leader) Kannimozhi, who owns the logistics. No fisherman will benefit from this. She also challenged them to put on record that they don’t have any stake in the shipping business. Today, Kannimozhi is the Toothukudi MP, and TR Balu-ji is an MP in Chennai. But, they are yet to answer if they have any stake in the shipping business,” he further said.
Raising another objection, the BJP’s Tamil Nadu chief said the shallow water in the region protects the coast from tsunamis.
“A recent study says that when Tsunami came, a lot of damage happened, but the coastline between India and Sri Lanka didn’t get damaged because the shallow water absorbed all the energy. Technically, it protects us from tsunamis because the Indonesian plate is also very fragile,” he said.
He further highlighted the RK Pachauri report which called the project ‘unsustainable’.
“The RK Pachauri report called the report ‘unsustainable’. For an INR 25000 crore project, it will be sustainable only if it provides a 12 per cent rate of return. But, the project does not get even 4 per cent. There is no saving of cost and no saving of fuel. The cost of dredging will offset the saving that will be done by skipping Sri Lanka and coming inside,” he said.
Annamalai said the reason behind their objections to the project is that it fails on multiple fronts.
“So, far we can see that the project fails on multiple fronts. So, if you want to go ahead with the project, you will have to work completely out of the box, along with the central government,” he added.
On January 14, Annamalai alleged that the Sethusamudram waterway project straddling India and Sri Lanka would benefit only a few shipping companies owned by leaders of the ruling DMK.
A grand waterway project straddling India and Sri Lanka, the Sethusamudram project proposes to connect the Palk Strait with the Gulf of Mannar. The project is seen as key to bringing economic prosperity to the state and the country.
Commissioned in 2005, the project came to a halt in light of protests by rightwing groups claiming that the project may harm the ‘Ram Setu’ bridge, which is believed to have been built by Lord Ram to reach Sri Lanka.
Environmentalists and activists, too, had claimed it might pose a potential threat to the environment in Rameswaram, the southernmost tip of the country.In the resolution, the DMK government had promised to complete the project while campaigning for the upcoming Assembly elections.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
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