For the last year, unlikely allies of religious groups, scientists, economists and environmentalists have protested against the Sethusamudram project, which envisages dredging the coral walkway between India and Sri Lanka to reduce sailing time for ships.
Now, concerns about the project are being expressed by some of the top officials in the Indian Navy.
Vice-Admiral Rustam F. Contractor , director general of the Indian Coast Guard, said the Sethusamudram channel was a “security risk” to the country. This is the first time such a top defence official has gone on record against the project. Contractor said there are chances of militants using this channel. “Security issues are bound to arise. It’s a sea, its waters are shared, the maritime area is common by virtue of the close boundary lines between Sri Lanka and us, so obviously the implications are more there.”
Naval experts agree that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) terrorists can attack passing ships, and the shallow seabed of the gulf also makes it easier to place sea mines.
In addition, maritime piracy has become a lucrative alternative for terrorist groups to find funding. “They capture ships and hold them to ransom. The going rate right now is about $100,000 (Rs39.4 lakh) per ship,” said former Capt. H. Balakrishnan. The proceeds are used to procure weapons of destruction. “The threat of maritime terrorism is being recognized world-wide and British security adviser Admiral Sir Alan West, had said terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda have realized how important maritime is and how sea-borne terrorism could cripple global trade,” Balakrishnan said.
Last February, Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta had warned that the Indian Ocean region had emerged as a hub of global terrorism and the risk from LTTE was real.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has given the government five more weeks to draft an affidavit to explain the cultural significance of the coral walkway —the Adam’s Bridge—also known as Ram Sethu. The court has also asked the government to explain why this particular channel alignment was chosen out of the six alternatives, and what studies have been conducted to verify the historicity of the bridge, believed by Hindu organizations to have been built by the Hindu god Ram. Priyanka P. Narain
Government defers fuel price hike decision again
The fuel price hike along with a duty re-jig exercise may be announced next week with the group of ministers (GoM) on fuel prices deciding to leave the final decision to the Union cabinet.
“We discussed the issue and the GoM has decided to leave it to the cabinet. It could meet as early as 4 or 5 February,” petroleum and natural gas minister Murli Deora, said after the meeting. “The GoM may meet again just before the cabinet to make a firm suggestion. The cabinet will take a view on the issue in its next week’s meeting,” he added.