DMK warns India's PM about China's plans in Sri Lanka, urges revival of Sethu Samudram Project
A senior leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhakan (DMK) and a member of the Lok Sabha ( Indian Parliament) has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revive the Sethu Samudram Project, the India Abroad News Services ( IANS) reported this week.
The move by the senior member T. R. Baalu, the report said, was to "protect the Southern part of the country against China."
He cited China's huge investments in Sri Lanka.
The report adds:
In a letter to Mr Modi, he said: "In the wake of the current conflict with China, we need to appreciate that besides our long borders in the north west and north east from Punjab to Arunachal Pradesh, the southern coastal borders, in particular the sea between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, has assumed critical importance from the security point of view."
"The way in which China is moving closer to Sri Lanka will never be in our national interest," Mr Baalu added.
According to the DMK leader China has pumped in about $ 7,048 million for various projects in Sri Lanka. The Hambantota port has been taken over by China, he said.
"These investments have made Sri Lankan people perceive that, as a friend and ally, China is more preferable than India. In such a scenario, we may not rule out Sri Lanka becoming another Nepal very soon," Mr Baalu said.
According to Mr Baalu, the southern Tamil Nadu coast, especially the
Adams Bridge and Sethu Samudram areas have immense geo- strategic value.
“The DMK leader said the Rs 2,400 crore Sethu Samudram project was inaugurated in 2005 but later "certain elements inimical to the national security and economic prosperity of India, schemed and misled the judiciary by invoking irrelevant and religious beliefs and succeeded in their designs to stall the prestigious Ship Channel Project activities."
“The Sethu Samudram Project envisages the dredging of a channel across the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka to allow ships to sail between the east and west coasts of India, instead of circumventing the island nation."
“There was opposition to the project on the economic/ religious/ ecological fronts. The Hindus believe the Adam'' s Bridge or the Ram Sethu was built by Lord Rama to reach Sri Lanka to rescue his wife Sita from the clutches of the demon king Ravana."
“The Tamil Nadu government under the late Jayaram Jayalalithaa had demanded the Ram Sethu/Adam’s Bridge be called a national monument and contended that its demolition would impact marine ecology in that region.”