In what appeared to be a sigh of relief for Sri Lanka, the Barathiya Janatha Party (BJP) government of India is likely to drop the controversial Sethusamunduram Project in part due to religious sensitivities involved in terms of the Hindu Mythology, the Daily Mirror learns. 

Sri Lanka raised objections to this project launched by the previous Congress Government of India in 2004, citing environmental and religious reasons.
Sri Lanka even submitted a report outlining details about the environmental cost of the project to the country.

After the project was launched in 2004, it came under heavy protest by some organisations in India, who argued that the project, aimed to developing a new shipping line, would damage Adam’s Bridge on religious grounds.

Also, they cited environmental and economic grounds for their opposition to the project.

The religious ground was that the project would damage the Ram Sethu or Adam’s Bridge, the remains of a bridge considered to be created by Lord Rama, encountered in Ramayana.

A BJP delegation led by former Union Minister Dr. Subramanian Swami visited Sri Lanka, attended a panel decision at the BMCIH last week.

Dr. Swami is the current Chairman of the BJP Committee for Strategic Action.

In November, last year, the External Affairs Ministry of Sri Lanka placed on record its objection to the project when the case filed against it was taken up for hearing by the Indian Apex Court.

However, the issue has not yet been discussed at bilateral between the government of Sri Lanka and India so far.

Let alone the Project Sethu, BJP has assured that the new government of India would be more supportive of Sri Lanka in international fora.  

Dr. Swami, during the same panel discussion, asserted that India’s foreign policy should be de-linked from Tamil Nadu and Tamil issue.(Kelum Bandara)