The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has turned the arrival of the first project cargo vessel at the Vizhinjam International Seaport into an occasion for celebration with CPI(M) leaders including State secretary M.V. Govindan and V. Joy, MLA, leading a procession culminating in a public event at Vizhinjam ahead of the formal inauguration on Sunday.
However, Father Eugene Pereira, Vicar General of the Thiruvananthapuram Archdiocese of the Catholic Church (Latin rite), has struck a discordant note, accusing the government of misleading the people by celebrating the arrival of cranes required for the port as the arrival of the first ship, when only 60% of the port’s work has been completed till now.
He made his displeasure clear at the government for including the name of the archbishop in the official programme notice without the Church’s permission, even though he said no one was banned from taking part in Sunday’s inaugural event. The Vizhinjam parish, under the Latin Church, had taken an independent position, saying that it would participate in the event, following talks with Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian on Saturday.
In a veiled response to the Vicar General, Minister for Ports Ahammad Devarkovil said no one had been excluded from the inaugural event. Out of the eight demands raised by the Latin Church, seven had been accepted, while all demands of the fishworkers were accepted, he said, expressing his willingness for further talks at any stage.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a Facebook post, said the docking of the inaugural vessel Zhen Hua 15 would be a game-changer for Kerala’s infrastructure and development. “Vizhinjam Port, boasting container transhipment capabilities and proximity to major shipping routes, aims to handle one million containers annually. This remarkable project is poised to attract investments and create numerous job opportunities, further contributing to the nation’s pride and progress,” he wrote.
LDF convener E.P. Jayarajan, addressing a press conference, called for everyone to join the celebrations sans any political differences or rancor, as it was a moment of pride in Kerala’s developmental journey. To questions on the Opposition United Democratic Front’s (UDF) allegations against the LDF accusing it of attempting to claim credit for the Vizhinjam project, he said that people should desist from statements that would dampen the spirit of the occasion.
“Some people have demanded that the port be named after Oommen Chandy, while some others have demanded that it be named after K. Karunakaran . It is better to avoid all such statements during this occasion. We are interested only in Kerala’s development, not in controversies. The Vizhinjam project began several years ago, but in the last five-six years, it has progressed fast, thanks to the strong interventions on the part of the LDF government. It is due to these interventions that we were able to complete the first phase at least now. No one should stay away from these celebrations. If anyone has grievances, we are ready to talk to them,” he said.
Mr. Jayarajan said the CPI(M) or the LDF had never taken a stand against the project, rather the front always stood for it, while making demands for the protection of rights of the fish workers. Due to this, projects worth crores for their rehabilitation had also become a reality.
“The LDF aims to complete all the developmental projects that it has envisaged in a timely manner. This is evident in the progress in the GAIL pipeline project, the National Highway expansion, the coastal highway project, and the waterways project. Hopefully, the next two phases of the Vizhinjam project will also progress rapidly,” he said.
