Protests aside, saving Vizhinjam port a must

It was touted as a ‘dream project’ that could take Kerala’s economy to another level. But seven years after the then UDF government signed an agreement with Adani Ports Limited to construct an international deep water multipurpose seaport at Vizhinjam, the Rs 7500-crore project seems to be stuck. The Latin church, the dominant religious group in the coastal belt, is up in arms against it as they feel the construction has affected the coastal ecosystem, thereby affecting their lives and livelihood. The church demands that the project be stopped immediately. The issue has taken a deeper communal colour, with the Hindu Aikyavedi supporting a section of fishermen favouring the project. Certain communal remarks by the priests against a Muslim state minister also opened many wounds. The agitation turned violent on Sunday, with protestors attacking a police station and injuring many, including policemen, while demanding the release of those who were arrested earlier in the day.

Significant amid the imbroglio is the government handling the protesters and the situation with unusual mildness. Despite the High Court’s instructions to provide adequate security for port construction, the government has yet to effectively clamp down on the protests. This is in contrast to how the same government took strong action to bring the GAIL pipeline and NH construction projects, stuck for years, back on track. But in the case of Vizhinjam port, the government seems to have gone unusually soft. Whether it is due to the fear of antagonising the Latin church, which holds a monopoly of votes in the coastal belt, or whether there are other extraneous reasons, is yet to be clear.

Whatever the reasons, the government should not allow the Vizhinjam port, which has immense economic possibilities, to sink into the muddy waters of politics and religion. The Congress, which brought the project to the Kerala shores, must not try to fish in muddled waters by opposing its own project for electoral benefits. There is no doubt that the fishermen’s concerns are genuine and must be addressed. But whether their issues are due to the port construction or are connected to larger climate change issues needs to be verified. The government must also take measures to speed up the rehabilitation of the affected fisherfolk. No matter how beneficial it is, any project will stand on its feet only if it has the support of the
local community.