India to build sea bridge, tunnel to connect Sri Lanka at a cost of Rs 24,000 crore: Nitin Gadkari

[Post Colonnial]

If environmentally sound, this is good idea. Jobs, tourism, security benefits, besides mutual market access. $5b is not much for India.

Lanka in non issue in our politics except TN. How come you guys club rest of India with TN? Time to educate your populace about how big is India.

Even in TN it has become more of a politician making noise than most ppl really caring. Ppl get involved only when the topic of Tamils slaughtered by SL military but between Rajiv murder, Rajapaks losing and Modi's ability to control the personal fate of Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha thru corruption cases, less and less time is spent on this. But most importantly, ppl have much much much more pressing problems of their own, so even those willing to weep for their SL Tamil brotheren, don't really mean to go beyond expressing sympathy.

If environmentally sound, the tunnel is a great idea in terms of benefits - tourism, mutual market access and jobs. It is a bigger advantage for the smaller partner but that's always the case in most bilateral projects.

 

[Godman]

Laugh is on people like you who lives in fairy lands and thinks what UNP do is right.

Keep on laughing for no reason then.
You were making dumb comemnts and making up stories saying I said that pro-Indians are intelligent.
Now spew some nonsense about the UNP the only one who lives in a fairy land is you living in a land of conspiracy theories where India funds Anti-Indian parties like the JVP

Don't bother if the only thing you can do is making things up and tell statements that I didn't even make are stupid ,say some totally unrealistic conspiracy theories and then say some dumb BS like this. If you don't have a mirror then buy one and talk to it instead of wasting other peoples time with your useless trolling

Even the Dear Leader(Not the North Korean Dear Leaders your Dear leader) pretty much debunked your Anti-US conspiracy theories like US conspiring to create Tamil eelam because they wanted a friend in the Indian Ocean
The Island-News
Sri Lanka Watch - US Navy's Pacific Command behind destruction of LTTE

 

[Bilal saqib]

what will be the economic benefits for india ? spending such a monstrous money that too on loan

may be lolipop to srilanka not to purchase JF-17 and after some time India will say its not technically and economically feasible just what you people did to cricket series after MoU sign... Masters of phirki.....

 

[my2cents]

I spelt out the "apparent" benefits already. And India at its present context needs to see non-economic benefit as well - mainly counter balance the influence of Chinese power on SL, Integration of SL economy with Indian economy for future co-existence and mutual prosperity, also SL has been a pretty robust economy in itself which can help the South Indian states to take advantage of (it will be mutually beneficial to both SL and India).

Why would India not take advantage of its proximity to other nations is really a puzzle. This should have been done a long time back.

Actually India is promoting connectivity with neighbouring nations in a big way. Rail and road connectivity through bangladesh is just one example. Now they want to build 4000 km road connectivity to Thailand.

Delhi to Thailand, by road in 2016? Nothing is impossible, says Nitin Gadkari | The Financial Express

Sri Lanka has nothing to do with India and Sri Lanka needs no land link with India. As the history suggest Sri Lanka has maintained it's independence because it didn't have any land link with Indian mainland. If this bridge is built Sri Lanka will become part of India with in no time.

You are still in 16th century. India has no reason to occupy you guys with or without the bridge. Monitoring the bridge is lot easier than vast ocean surrounding you.

 

[Gibbs]

Actually India is promoting connectivity with neighbouring nations in a big way. Rail and road connectivity through bangladesh is just one example. Now they want to build 4000 km road connectivity to Thailand.

Those countries are physically connected by land anyway, So thats not a big issue, This is more of a plan of the BJP to enhance Indian influence on the island than for any economic benefit certainly not in the short term, kind of a counter measure to mitigate China

Anyway it's futile to argue about this issue when clearly SL is not in agreement as it stands

 

[nair]

Those countries are physically connected by land anyway, So thats not a big issue, This is more of a plan of the BJP to enhance Indian influence on the island than for any economic benefit certainly not in the short term, kind of a counter measure to mitigate China

Anyway it's futile to argue about this issue when clearly SL is not in agreement as it stands

Is there any statement on this from SL side????

 

[Gibbs]

Is there any statement on this from SL side????

Yes after nearly six months they have finally revealed their stance

The Island

 

[nair]

Yes after nearly six months they have finally revealed their stance

The Island

Ok good.......

But any specific reason??

 

[Gibbs]

Ok good.......

But any specific reason??

Read through the thread.. Some of those reasons are discussed in detail, Do mind the troll's though

 

[Gibbs]

This has more to do with the renegotiation on the CEPA deal but mentions the Indian proposed Bridge and reiterates the GOSL stand on it

Sri Lanka eager to share ‘Make in India’ avenues - NATIONAL - The Hindu

Sri Lanka is eager to share the opportunities created by major government plans such as Make in India and Digital India.

Sri Lankan sources told The Hindu on Sunday that finding space for Sri Lankan entrepreneurs in major Indian industrial schemes will be a key issue during the fourth round of the Commerce Secretary-level talks planned on December 21.

“Make in India will create a chain of production and major research and development opportunities, some of which can be shared by Sri Lanka as we have the required manpower and infrastructure in place,” a Sri Lankan source told The Hindu on the eve of the talks in New Delhi.

The source also said that Sri Lanka would push for conclusion of ETCA (Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement), which is more focused on increasing the Sri Lankan share in Indian opportunities. An agreement on ETCA will be a major achievement in enhancing bilateral economic ties.

Economic cooperation between India and Sri Lanka has been more focused in recent months on the negotiation for CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) which was pushed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his March visit to Colombo. But his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe categorically opposed CEPA recently in the Sri Lankan Parliament. “CEPA is being viewed as an Indian attempt to flood Sri Lankan markets with Indian products. But we want to find a middle way in this negotiation without compromising on Sri Lankan economic strengths,” former diplomat and prominent columnist Kalyanand Godage told The Hindu .

The Sri Lankan side is, however, concerned over the proposed bridge over the Palk Strait that was mentioned by Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in Parliament. “Mr. Gadkari’s campaign for the bridge connecting Thalaimannar in Sri Lanka and Rameswaram in India is perceived as another attempt to open up our market to India and has drawn criticism from Mr.Wickremesinghe for not being transparent on this issue with the people,” Mr.Godage said.


Fourth round of Commerce Secretary-level

talks to begin in New Delhi today

 

[Godman]

Things like this need more time. Indo-SL relations are on a positive path but it needs to improve more.
Things don't change overnight.

SAARC countries should increase cooperation first and reduce conflicts

 

[HeinzG]

You are still in 16th century. India has no reason to occupy you guys with or without the bridge. Monitoring the bridge is lot easier than vast ocean surrounding you.

We are afraid that we will end up being like Bhutan or Nepal let alone Sikkim.

Keep on laughing for no reason then.
You were making dumb comemnts and making up stories saying I said that pro-Indians are intelligent.
Now spew some nonsense about the UNP the only one who lives in a fairy land is you living in a land of conspiracy theories where India funds Anti-Indian parties like the JVP

Don't bother if the only thing you can do is making things up and tell statements that I didn't even make are stupid ,say some totally unrealistic conspiracy theories and then say some dumb BS like this. If you don't have a mirror then buy one and talk to it instead of wasting other peoples time with your useless trolling

Even the Dear Leader(Not the North Korean Dear Leaders your Dear leader) pretty much debunked your Anti-US conspiracy theories like US conspiring to create Tamil eelam because they wanted a friend in the Indian Ocean
The Island-News
Sri Lanka Watch - US Navy's Pacific Command behind destruction of LTTE

You are obviously believe what JVP says don't you?

What I said about US intention on Sri Lanka is based on my knowledge. It may or may not actually happen. However it doesn't negate the fact that US is interested in Sri Lanka. Anyhow US did help Sri Lanka on destroying the floating armories of the LTTE because SL navy has painstakingly convince them the fact that LTTE armories might be used by the Al-Qaeda. US support on us was purely done to ensure that the weapons did not reach to wrong hands other than LTTE.

I don't know whether you aware of the fact that US put ban on arms sales to Sri Lanka in 2008. Which was the year SLA fought it's bloodiest battles. How come this fact fit in to US help on destroying LTTE? Did they want us to fight LTTE with bare hands?

The fact that there is no major military activity in the battlefields did not mean that the separatist war was not in focus this week. There were several important developments related to it. The United States, the world's only superpower, will bar sales of military equipment to Sri Lanka. It has come in the form of provisions of the Appropriation Act for 2008 for the Department of State dealing with Foreign Operations and Related Programmes. It was the direct result of amendments moved by Senator Patrick. J. Leahy (Democrat) who is Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Situation Report

US State Department - Policy - Directorate of Defense Trade Controls

 

[Saradiel]

Things like this need more time. Indo-SL relations are on a positive path but it needs to improve more.
Things don't change overnight.

SAARC countries should increase cooperation first and reduce conflicts

Anything RW does is fine by you ne?

 

[my2cents]

We are afraid that we will end up being like Bhutan or Nepal let alone Sikkim.

These are land locked countries surrounded by India and they are psyched because of it.

SL falls in different ball game with entire Indian ocean at your disposal to export to the world. No need to by psyched by your big neighbour. You can always have trade treaties with your big neighbour which gives you most gains. Mexico benefited the most because of NAFTA with united states.

 

[HeinzG]

These are land locked countries surrounded by India and they are psyched because of it.

SL falls in different ball game with entire Indian ocean at your disposal to export to the world. No need to by psyched by your big neighbour. You can always have trade treaties with your big neighbour which gives you most gains. Mexico benefited the most because of NAFTA with united states.

Well what to export when cheap Indian products are filling Sri Lankan market. Sri Lankan producers cannot compete with the Indian companies.