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This article is a reply to the
unfortunate derisive comments that appeared in 'Sangoli', the authorized weekly
political bulletin of M.D.M.K on 23-09-2005 against "Manitham" by Mr. M. Pandian.
 Manitham
has already published almost a year back, a research
'Interim Report on Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project' in various national and international print
media and has also submitted a copy of it on 30-07-2004 to the Pollution Control
Board and various similar organization. Till date many articles are getting
published quoting from this report. The departments concerned have not yet
answered the queries raised by Manitham but instead seem to show more enthusiasm
towards the construction of the Canal.
Manitham has never been nor will it ever will play second fiddle to any
political power or to any betrayer of the Tamil race. It is true that one cannot
stay quiet when one's past glory and cultural riches get looted away. After all
our off springs would inherit only the past glory, language and the vast expense
of Ocean owned by the present generation. Manitham is not foolish to push away
the historic past nor is it myopic to emotionally overlook the future.
One must realize that there is an imminent risk of the island of Katchattivu
disappearing from the map of the globe if the Sethu Project were to be realized.
Of course, no one negates the truth that the Sethu Project had been a dream of
the Tamils for the past 145 years. But we should also be realistic about the
practicability of the project. Even though Manitham is not totally objecting
SSCP, we only want to know the absolute truth behind SSCP.
National Engineering Environment Research Institute [NEERI] has submitted a 300
paged report regarding the project. Manitham is anxious about the visible lapses
in the NEERI report. NEERI should have made an elaborate study about the pros
and cons about such a mighty project before submitting such a report. It is
unfortunate that NEERI has overlooked significant factors like the chances for
future natural calamities after having monitored their past occurrences. It
should have taken into consideration a study of the fury of nature that took
place during the past 100/150 years.
Manitham holds that the report of NEERI is not totally satisfactory. Manitham
hence recommends the project to be reviewed once again by experts drawn from
other nations of the World:
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NEERI has strangely not made
any mention of Tsunami. Prof. Tad S. Murty is one of the most respected Tsunami
Experts around the world and he advises the Government of Canada on Tsunamis has
warned that the Sethu Project may invite worse Tsunamis.
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The
NEERI report has made no mention of the two volcanoes in the Indian Ocean.
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There
is no reference to the UN Law of Sea Convention, 1982 in the report. This Law
has been whole heartedly signed by the Government of India. Manitham wonders
whether the government has completely forgotten and hidden the fact that it has
to adhere to the UN regulations.
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Nothing
has either been mentioned about how the project would affect the fishermen of
eastern coast of Tamil Nadu and the Tamil fishermen of north and north-eastern
coast of Sri Lanka. There is only reference to how the Dhanushkodi fishermen
will be affected.
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Neither
is there any reference to how sea pollution could be avoided nor is there any
reference to the measures to be taken in case of a leakage from the ships.
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Even
though, nothing is said about where the sand, spoil and silt dug out during the
process of the project should be dumped, the present dumping area will give
adverse effect to the eco system of our globe.
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Distorted
versions of the effects of the project on the coral reefs are being propagated.
More than 3,600 species of plants and animals would get damaged by this project.
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Recently
Prof. Arunachalam of Manonmaniom Sundaranar University conducted on an
independent research near to the proposed site for the project. Through this we
come to know that the sea temperature has increased considerably. If this
continues, within 10 to 15 years there would be no rain fall in this area. More
than that Aqua wealth has extensively decreased in this area. Very rare species
of sea life has also migrated from the area.
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There
is no information in the NEERI report about the transfer of sedimentation and
silt plates of the Palk Straits.
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It
is understood that since 1860 to 2000 census, once in every four years this area
is cyclone hit. But in the NEERI report information regarding cyclone is totally
absent. Hence it remains unknown what would come of the Canal during cyclones.
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It
may be that the columnist of 'Sangoli' is oblivious of the reports submitted by
Indian Geological Survey Department and Oceanology Department about
unprecedented changes that have occurred in the Ocean beds after the recent
tsunami.
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Mr.
D N Seshagiri, an expert from Indian Geological Survey wonders if NEERI's report
includes mentions regarding land slides. Even Panama Canal went unsatisfactory
because of similar reasons.
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There
was a general convention and discussion on the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project
at Jaffna Univesity on 30th August, 2005. Organisations like NESOHR, TECH from
Killinochi, Green Movement of Sri Lanka, Environmental Foundation Ltd from
Colombo and representatives from Jaffna University took part in this. A Sri
Lankan Tamil living now in India and a supporter of Sethu Project took part in
the Convention and spoke for 10 minutes.
NESOHR has issued a plea to the World
Human Rights Organisations immediate after this convention in the form of a news
bulletin. It has stated that : 1. Government of India and Government of Sri
Lanka should necessarily abide by the regulations of the
UN Convention of Trans
boundary Economic Impact Assessment [Espoo 1991], 2. Until a complete study and
discussion are made with the people of defacto state in North - Eastern Coast of
Sri Lanka, the area which would be the most affected because of the Sethu
Project, the project may be suspended for the time being.
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The
ancient city of Poompuhar and Dhanushkodi in the recent past have been engulfed
by the Sea. It had been our long pending request that Poompuhar will have to be
archeologically excavated. Millions of years ago, Sri Lanka drifted away from
the India which was a part of the Lemuria continent. Adam Bridge alone unites
India and Sri Lanka. Manitham doubts that if Adam Bridge is demolished, Tamil
Nadu may have to lose the most precious and costly evidences of the cultural
antiquity of the Tamils.
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The
site selected for the
Sethu Project is very close to the Koodamkulam Nuclear
Power Plant which is the largest in Asia. The power plant may start functioning
within the next four years. If the Sethu Project is to be used for the
transportation of the radio-active raw materials needed for the plant, there is
a risk of an accident which may prove calamitous to Tamil Nadu and North part of
Sri Lanka.
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The
former deputy chief of the Chennai port trust, Mr. K S Ramakrishnan has said in
his recently published articles has said that if a ship has to make use of the
Sethu Project will have to spend Rs.60 lakhs. But if the ship chose to go around
Sri Lanka, it may have to spend only Rs.7 lakhs. If that is the case, the
multinational ships would not mind to going enroute Sri Lanka.
Once again let us consider Mr.
M.Pandian's 'Sangoli' article.
A national level Sri Lankan Human Rights & Environmental Organisations formed
'National Movement Against Sethusamudram' [Green Movement of Sri Lanka who
participated in Jaffna convention on 30-09-2005, has played coordinator of this
'National Movement Against Sethusamudram'] consist of 123 organisations, which
opposes the Sethu Project, affiliated to give a
'Peoples Memorandum on the
Adverse effects of the propose Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project' to the Indian
High Commissioner in Sri Lanka on 24-08-2005. Manitham is having a small branch
known as Manitham-Sri Lanka, based in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. 'Manitham - Sri
Lanka' is just one of the organizations which oppose this project. Unlike the
statement made in 'Sangoli' there is no need of the Executive Director of
Manitham, Mr. Subramaniam to visit Sri Lanka. It may further be noted that on
the very dates mentioned in the article, he had been to the court, J.M-V at
Coimbatore for a hearing regarding a case filed against him by the Police in
2000 as a 'supporter of Tamil Tigers'. More than that Mr. Subramaniam does not
have a pass port which is mandatory for a visit to any foreign country.
It is true that the Sri Lankan government opposed the Sethu Project once. But
now it has only been pretending to do so and keeps silent over this issue. Many
Human Rights and Eco-friendly organizations, fisher folks from Jaffna and Mannar
have been objecting to this attitude of Sri Lanka and have also held processions
against the Sethusamudram Project.
In this context a small introduction about Manitham becomes necessary.
Manitham is an NGO and it organized a symposium- 'POTA Insecurity?' on
11-10-2003 to deliberate on POTA, inviting leading Human Rights activists from
South India. It should be noted that the meeting was felicitated through a
letter by
Mr. Kannappan, the M.D.M.K treasurer and then Central Minister,
Ayya
Pala. Nedumaran,
DK president Thiru. K. Veeramani and Human Rights Frontier
Justice V R Krishna [Iyer] were a
few who had sent their good wishes for the
meeting.
When four Tamils were sentenced for death by the Supreme Court of India, hailing
in Belgam Prison, Karnataka, Manitham organized a nation wide
signature campaign
against Capital Punishment. It was
Thiru. Vaiko, the General Secretary of
M.D.M.K and Thiru. Kannappan, Treasurer of M.D.M.K, who were the first to affix
their signatures. Manitham had handed over a petition to the Indian President
with more than 2 lakh signatures, which was it secured within 2 months.
At present Thiru. Guna a Tamil Scholar from Bangalore, Prof. Nedunchezhian, also
a Tamil Scholar from Tanjore and eleven other Tamils [of whom one died in June,
2005] have been jail birds for the past 3 years in Bangalore Central Prison.
Manitham as its little contribution has approached the
National Human Rights
Commission [NHRC] through petition. Last month the
NHRC has issued an order to
the Inspector General of Prisons, Karnataka to submit a report on this issue
within four weeks.
Manitham Secretariat in India has always helped the Tamil fishermen as and when
they were taken by the Sri Lankan Navy. Manitham-Sri Lanka has extended helping
hand tremendously in this regard.
Manitham has condemned the harassment of Tamils in Colombo by the Sri Lankan
military after the recent declaration of Emergency in Sri Lanka. One has to note
that Manitham related Tamils were also affected in the hands of military during
this atrocity.
Manitham will not be a mute witness to the atrocities when they take place in
this soil.
Manitham has never expected any reward for its humanitarian activities nor has
it held a begging bowl to any one for help. People who have benefited of
Manitham know this well. A very few Indian Tamil friends have offered a helping
hand to Manitham. Manitham has never received any large scale monetary help from
anyone like the political parties. It has not need to fall at the feet of anyone
for power and position.
May Manitham expect at least hereafter from 'Sangoli' a through verification of
all the facts before publishing an article?
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