Proposal to resume Indo-Lanka ferry services welcomed
June 11, 2010 02:15 am
The proposal to resume ferry services between Dhanushkodi
and Talaimannar and Tuticorin and
The Dhanushkodi-Talaimmanar service, which began in 1914 during the British rule, was stopped after the 1964 cyclone that destroyed Dhanushkodi town.
Survivors of the cyclone, which claimed the lives of 115
persons travelling in a train between Pamban and Dhanushkodi on December 23,
1964 recall that Dhanushkodi was a prosperous tourist and pilgrimage centre
till the fateful day. Those days,
Southern Railway ran a Boat Mail from Madras Egmore (now
Chennai Egmore) to Dhanushkodi to connect steamers ‘Irvin’ and ‘Goschen’ that
were later renamed ‘Mullai’ and ‘Marutham’. Travellers were given tickets from
Chennai to
“There were hotels, textile shops, jewellery shops, dharmashalas, hospital, government offices to serve the need of pilgrims and travellers. People of both countries used to cross over frequently on many fronts, including for trade, pilgrimage and others. I want to see Danushkodi regain the glorious past before my end. I am extremely happy to learn that ferry service will be resumed soon,” 88-year-old V. ‘Neechal’ Kali, one of the very few survivors of the 1964 cyclone, told TheHindu.
Mr. Kali, who lives in Dhanushkodi, said in the 46 years after the cyclone he had heard many similar proposals but nothing happened.
He hoped the new proposal would become a reality.
Though the proposals were mooted in 2003, they could not
materialise owing to stiff opposition in the State. It was felt that the
services would pose security problems for Tamil Nadu in view of the civil war
in
It is expected that the latest proposal would not face much opposition from the security point of view, as hostilities have come to an end in the island nation. A section of trade and commerce bodies, which welcomed the proposal, said it would be a big boost for districts such as Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Tuticorin and Virudhunagar. – (The Hindu)