THAMIZHAN CANAL IN BAY OF BENGAL 3.11.2003

THAMIZHAN CANAL IN BAY OF BENGAL

In a letter to Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra an appeal to construct 10 th Degree Canal was suggested. Then Dravida Peravai sent Memorandums to Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Thailand Prime Minister Thakashin Shinawatra on 3.11.2003

August 15 th 2003, from Pondicherry Dravida Peravai wrote a letter to the Lt.Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Mr.N.N.Jha on the need to dig a canal in Thailand connecting Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Siam. It also urged that such Indo-Thailand joint venture be named as Thamizhan Calvaay. (Daily Thanthi 15.08.2003). Then Dinamani dated 28.08.2003 stated that a memorandum for construction of a " New Canal for benefiting Chennai and Tuticorin Harbor’s” had been handed over to the Union Minister of State for External Affairs Mr.Digvijay Singh. Mr.Singh lauded this project which will reduce 1500 nautical miles to reach South China Seas. 

 The details of the project are in this article.

Joint efforts by India and Thailand to construct the Tenth Degree Canal for linking Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand to create a short navigational route to South China Seas ensuring fuel savings and to act as catalyst for bilateral economic growth , is need of the hour.

You may be aware that the Suez Canal (1869) and Panama Canal (1915) Sethu Samudram Canal (1860) and Tenth Degree Canal have been mooted to create short navigational routes to bring prosperity to their respective regions and countries. The French initiative to build Siene_Norde Canal is an example for the keen interest evinced by developing countries to promote trade and overall development. 

Since the recent visit of Indian Prime Minister had given tremendous boost to the cooperation between India and Thailand, Dravida Peravai is bringing to your knowledge certain historical facts with the humble request to you both to take an active interest for the construction of Tenth Degree Canal, which can bring prosperity to Andaman & Nicobar islands of India and Thailand, apart from boosting bilateral trade.

You must go back to the pages of history to know that Thailand then known, as Siam is an enemy country of the British and an ally of the Japan during the World War II. On the conclusion of the Second World War II, one of the last secretive acts performed by the colonial Government of India was the signing of a Peace Treaty with Siam (Thailand). A Peace Treaty between her Majesty’s Government and the Government of India on one hand and the Kingdom of Siam on the other, on January 1, 1946 at the Government House Singapore. The signatories were for the Britain Mr. Moberly Dening, Political Adviser to Lord Louis Mount batten, for Government of India Mr.M.S.Aney and for Siam (now Thailand) Prince Viwat Anajai Jaiyant, Lt.General Phya Abhai Songgram and Nai Serm Vinichayakul. This treaty contains 24 articles. Out of this Article 7 assumes importance in the context of this letter.

Article 7: Siam undertakes to construct no canal linking the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Siam (i.e. across the Kra Isthmus) without British consent. (Keesing’s Contemporary Archives 1946-48 Vol VI, p 7695). This article had done great havoc to Indian shipping costing our nation billions of extra money by way of fuel imports, in view of shelving of the Tenth Degree Canal project with the imposition of a condition in this Peace Treaty. It has also blocked the economic prosperity of Thailand and held up the development process by half a century and more.

Hence Dravida Peravai urges the Government of India and Government of Thailand to look into the unfavorable condition imposed by a colonial rule, that too at the threshold of a defeat in Second World War II on Thailand, an ally of Japan. It is in the interests of India and Thailand that a Canal be cut across the Isthmus of Kra where the isthmus narrows to just 75 miles and to develop this canal vigorously so that a detour of 1500 nautical miles down the Malayan Coast via the Straits of Malacca and up the Gulf of Thailand in the South China Sea is avoided.

The proposed Tenth Degree Canal will be an extension of the Tenth Degree channel in between Andaman and Nicobar islands. The opening of Tenth Degree canal will result is saving millions of tons of fuel foe world shipping. The Tenth Degree canal reduces the importance of other major canals of the world namely Suez Canal and Panama Canal. The Tenth Degree Canal would develop Andaman & Nicobar Islands and bring prosperity to its economy. The opening of this canal will also benefit the Indian East Coast Ports like Haldia, Paradeep, Visakapatinam, Chennai and Tuticurin.

There are more than 138 minor and intermediary ports under the control of various state governments in India. If Indian Government creates a National Seaway Authority and permits private sector vessels to transport cargo and passengers connecting all Indian Ports, these 138 minor and intermediary Ports, which mostly are inoperable, will be busting with activity and the opening up of the Tenth Degree Canal by Thailand will also improve its share in international trade and access to Indian market. The completion of Sethu samudram Project along with the Tenth Degree canal Project, will give a boost to Indian coastal shipping, cargo shipping and major boost to Indian and Thailand’s economy. The Tenth degree Canal will boost the economies of SAARC and ASEAN nations. 

The savings in fuel will be so great for Japan, and it may fund this project. India and China too would benefit with this Canal, and this will boost bilateral trade. The Tenth Degree Canal reduces the cost of shipping for the nations of the Pacific rim of Asia.

The Indian Prime Ministers vision to look towards East is laudable and the Free Trade Agreements India signing with its neighbours is a right step in the right direction, as world is moving towards regional blocks and common markets, Dravida Peravai urges both India and Thailand to foster their economic cooperation with speedy construction of Tenth Degree Canal as a Indo Thailand joint venture to open a New Seaway to East. Economists like Dominic Wilson and Roopa Purushothaman an alumnus of London School of Economics have in their joint report predicted that Brazil, Russia, India and China could become a powerful economic block like G-6 nations and will race ahead of developed nations by 2050. It will be appropriate to have a common Asian Market and A Common Asian currency for the resurgence of the economies of the Asian block, and by launching schemes with foresight both India and Thailand along with other neighbouring countries must set the agenda for changing their economies into one common market with a common currency.

The proposed land bridge between Thailand and Andaman is not necessary and instead the cutting of a canal right east from Andaman will be the easiest and best way to open a New Sea Way to South China Seas and EAST. India at the moment is planning a transshipment harbour in Indira point, the last island in our border, and this too could get a boost with the construction of Tenth Degree canal. There may be some voices of concern in environment angle, but such opposition will also be there for the land bridge mooted by the Thailand Government. Even for Sethu Samudram Project there was opposition and the National environment Research Institute had countered it in its report. For interlinking of rivers too there will voices against it here and there, but over all societal concerns must prevail. Nuclear tests are taking place amidst environmental caution, and in places where Tsunami, i.e. killer waves that rise from ocean floor and swallow towns is common as in Hawaii and Japanese regions harbours do exist and have come up. So it will not be an economically and environmentally unsound proposition to construct 10 Th Degree Canal and name it as THAMIZHAN CANAL.