Political battle rages over the Sethu Samudram Project

Chennai: The debate over reviving the Sethu Samudram project is getting spruced up in recent days. DMK government is all set to implement the dream project. Even Mahakavi Bharathiyar penned a line a century ago that says, "Let's pave a path over the Sethu".

Journalist Puthumadam Jaffar Ali explained in detail about this Sethu Samudram project. He says, "It's not just a 100-year-old dream. the history to pave a way over Sethu dates back to the 1760s. British tried very hard to pave a way there in the sea".

What is the benefit?

Jaffar Ali adds that "The coastlines of India extend up to 7500 km. So Indians are supposed to travel through the coastal routes for very many reasons. But those coastal routes are not straight. For various reasons, we have to go around Srilanka for India's every need. This takes nearly 400 miles to go around Srilanka for 30 hours. More than the distance and time, Fuel cost is the most burdensome expenditure. In order to make commercial sea travels profitable, there is a huge need for constructing this Sethu Samudram Project.

Initially, the project plan was proposed by the British during the 1760s. They even went through elaborate research till 1838. At that time they paved out a canal route and allowed small ships to pass through the Sethu. But it didn't get succeeded as they planned. Again the Sethu project was proposed by A.D. Taylor in the 1860s. The British government tried again and again till 1922. There is proof in the British Archives of all these attempts made to pave the way over Sethu.

History of Sethu after Indian Independence:

After India got its Independence in 1955, a team was set up to investigate the Sethu bridge under the leadership of Dr A. Ramasamy Mudaliar. The Tamilnadu government even devised a special plan in 1963 with a whopping budget of ₹21 Crore. The state government appealed this plan to the Parliament which was eventually got rejected by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Again Sethu project went under investigation by Lakshmi Narayanan and the team in 1983. This was a brief history of the Sethu Samudram Project.

Later when Karunanidhi's government came into power Sethu Samudram project was revived. They even conducted an opening ceremony. At that time this was heavily opposed and criticised by certain religious organisations like BJP. The Project was dropped. Once the AIADMK government returned to power the project was shelved for a long time. Now as the DMK is back to power, the Sethu Samudram Project is getting resuscitated.

Why the Sethu Samudram Project is always a hot political topic? Ex-Union Minister TR Balu shares the detailed background story of this Politically hot project.

TR Balu says, "This Sethu Samudram project should have been completed five years ago. In Today's period, people are having intellectual knowledge of this project. So there is no need to explain the needs of this project. Tamilnadu people are well aware of the reasons behind the opposition to this project. The DMK government will break this conspiracy and revive this centuries-old dream project.

Even the Tamilnadu BJP in the 2001 Elections mentioned that the Sethu Samudram Project will be finished through Adam Bridge in their Election resolutions. At that time Jana Krishnamoorthy was the Tamilnadu BJP leader. This is the first proof.

Why Jayalalitha approved and disapproved of this project?

In 2001, Jayalalitha too mentioned completing this Sethu Samudram project in her party's election resolutions. She even writes a letter to then-Prime Minister Vajpayee. This is the second proof. I cannot reveal each and every part of the attempts made for this project throughout the years for the sake of the pledge I made as a Minister.

I will reveal certain facts as a duty. Even Arun Jaitley signed the document which proposed to complete the Sethu Samudram Project through the Adam Bridge as swiftly as possible. The project was approved by Rajnath Singh, Nitish Kumar, Piyush Goyal's father V.P. Goyal, Minister Thirunaavukkarasu and many other ministers of the assembly.

The Late MP Sankaralingam wrote a letter to the then Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shatrughan Sinha to finish up the project. Shatrughan Sinha also replied that the project will be completed through the Adam Bridge. The then Minister of Defence, George Fernandes wrote that "This Sethu Samudram Project has to be completed for the sake of National Security".

Each and every ministry, ministry, their secretaries emphasised finishing up this project. Only for the sake of securing the Government's secret, I am not revealing the intricate details of this project.

Uma Bharti's attempt over Sethu canal:

The DMK government organised a huge opening ceremony in Madurai on 02.07.2005. The project was inaugurated by then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. We finished up the project for nearly 23.5 km and only 23.5 km was left to be completed. We would have finished by then itself. But there was huge opposition. When Uma Bharti was in the ministry she holds a demo on the Sethu bridge and Borehole Investigations were conducted at 81 locations for every 100m up to 20 meters of depth in Adam's Bridge area. This would have damaged the bridge right? At the end of the investigation, the Geological Survey of India assured that they couldn't find anything special. They sent the detailed report to Vajpayee secretly.

Uma Bharti is a religious person. Even she acknowledged that there was no bridge in that particular area with me personally. there was no evidence to prove that there was sand, stone or rocks or any kind of construction in that sea area.

I was the only minister who made sure that the project is much needed by clarifying all kinds of doubts from famous historians like Vincent Smith and Romila Thapar.

No need for Religious opposition:

No historians or scientists had ever found any kind of proof for this Sethu bridge built by humans. Even the highly religious leader Rajaji didn't accept that the bridge was built by Lord Rama. Some people should understand the scientific proof. We conducted surveys in nearly 6 districts around the coastal region to implement this project. It took nearly 2 years for us to finish the survey. No one opposed this project. Jayalalitha didn't oppose it, BJP didn't say anything regarding Rama Bridge until we start this project. Some people are doing great disregard for the Tamil people.

To get justice, I appealed to the State Environmental Commission, Forest Ministry, Marine Board Committee, Union Environment Ministry, Defence Ministry, ship and waterways ministry, and External affairs ministry, and even appealed to the Srilankan Government to do this project. There is no need to find religious reasons to stop this highly beneficial dream project.

Research from 140 years ago:

140 years ago the famous German Professor and Geologist Johns Walter from Jena University visited Adam Bridge. He researched in 1891 and stated that "Adam bridge was not constructed by humans. just sand and pebbles were there in that sea area". The opposition showed NASA photos as proof. We approached NASA to get a detailed review. NASA clarified that the photograph was true and it didn't mean that NASA accepts the possibility of a bridge.

Thus no one cannot oppose this project stating that it was an ancient symbol. There wasn't any historical evidence. Once Jayalalitha said that Bridge was constructed 17 lakh years ago. But as per science, Humans came into existence just 5 lakh years ago only. When we questioned her scientifically, she replied that it was her belief. What is more important? Science or Beliefs?".