Author: TELO Admin

NEW DELHI. Indian scientists will soon undertake a possibly first scientific expedition to date the chain of corals and sediments forming the Ram Setu, also known as Adam’s Bridge.

This 48-km long bridge-like structure between India and Sri Lanka finds mention in the great Hindu epic Ramayana, but little is known or scientifically proven about its formation.

Recently, a central advisory board on archaeology, functioning under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), approved the project proposal submitted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) to study the sediments and determine its origin.

The CSIR-NIO will undertake a three-year scientific project. “The idea is to see whether Ram Setu is a man-made structure or not. The most important aspect of the project is to establish its age scientifically. Once it is known, the information can be verified and co-related with its mention in the Ramayana and similar scriptures,” said Prof. Sunil Kumar Singh, director, NIO.

Carbon dating techniques, which are now available in India, will be primarily used to determine the age of the sediments.

Broadly, the explorers will apply a number of scientific techniques while attempting to date the Ram Setu, study its material composition, outline the sub-surface structure along with attempting to excavate remnants or artifacts, if any, from the site.

The project is expected to formally commence by the end of March. An initial survey will make use of underwater photographs to check if any habitation remains inundated in the area. A geophysical survey will be performed to understand the structure.

“Over the years, several kinds of depositions, including sand, have covered the actual structure. Initially, only physical observation, and no drilling, will be done. A scientific survey will be performed to understand the sub-surface structure,” said Singh.

Once this is fully understood, the scientists plan to drill into the structure, gather samples and later perform laboratory-based studies.

The NIO director added: “Some scriptures mention wooden slabs along the Setu (Hindi for Bridge). If so, they should have fossilised by now, which we will try to locate. Using high-end techniques, we will look for corals and date the gathered samples. The NIO is equipped with the latest technology. Most of the scientific analysis will be done at NIO or within laboratories in India.”

As the locality around Ram Setu is shallow, with depth not more than three to four metres beneath water, the scientists will use local boats to ferry along the Setu. This is because large vessels or ships cannot sail at such shallow depths.

Side scan SONAR will be used for bathymetry. This is similar to studying topography of a structure on land. Soundwaves signals will be sent to the structure, which will provide an outline of the physical structure of the Ram Setu.

As part of the silo seismic survey, mild earthquake-like tremor shocks will be sent at shallow depths close to the structure. These energised shockwaves are capable of penetrating into the structure. The reflected or refracted signals will be captured by instruments that will provide sub-surface structure.

Letter to PM, signed by party MPs, comes ahead of UNHRC’s 46th session

DMK president M.K. Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, urging him to ensure that the Sri Lankan government implements the 13th Amendment in letter and spirit. The party’s MPs also signed the letter, sent ahead of the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

The UNHRC meeting is scheduled to take up past resolutions for creating an independent international mechanism for an inquiry to do justice to Eelam Tamils for the war crimes and other human rights violations committed by the Sri Lankan armed forces.

Recalling External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s statement during his recent visit to Sri Lanka, Mr. Stalin said that while the Minister was only restating the Indian position on issues of power like devolution at the domestic level, he was silent on the UNHRC processes. “It is unclear whether he had really and meaningfully taken it up with Sri Lanka’s President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister,” he said.

“It is now clear that the Government of Sri Lanka has seriously failed to honour its UNHRC commitments under Resolution 40/1, and has also been reluctant to take forward constructive and internationally acceptable measures for accountability in the matters of war crimes and all human rights violations,” the letter said. It had failed to bring forward substantive constitutional and administrative initiatives to uphold the dignity of the Tamils.

Mr. Stalin said successive Sri Lankan governments had only whittled down the powers and authority of the provincial councils, even 34 years after the 13th Amendment was passed, treating the provincial councils with scant respect to their own Constitution. “The actions of these governments have deviated from the commitments made under the India-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987,” he said. They have failed to fulfil the “legitimate aspirations” of the Tamils, he said.

With all Tamil parties in Sri Lanka unanimously appealing to the member-states of the UNHRC, including India, to work for referring Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for ensuring effective international accountability over war crimes and other human rights violations, the Prime Minister should ensure at the personal and diplomatic levels that the Sri Lankan government implemented the 13th Amendment, he said.

“You may recall that India has voted against Sri Lanka at UNHRC in the past. I, therefore, request you to effectively cause India to take the initiative in an earnest manner and implore other member-nations of UNHRC early so as to move the issue collectively and ensure that the appeals of joint Tamil representation from Sri Lanka are met at the 46th session of UNHRC,” he said.

Wimal Weerawansa, the Leader of the National Freedom Front and Minister of Industries, has invited the leaders of six member parties of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) over the phone on the 28th to discuss the possibility of taking action against a cabinet paper on the sale of the Eastern Container Terminal of the Colombo Port next Monday (01).

This crucial discussion is scheduled to be held today (30) at Minister Wimal Weerawansa’s official residence in Colombo, state media reported.

Accordingly, Minister Wimal Weerawansa has reportedly invited Leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya and Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila, Leader of the Democratic Left Front and Minister of Water Supply Vasudeva Nanayakkara, General Secretary of Lanka Sama Samaja Party, Member of Parliament Prof. Tissa Vitharana, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka Specialist Dr. G. Weerasinghe, Leader of the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party, Member of Parliament Asanka Navaratne and Leader of the United People’s Party, Member of Parliament Tiran Alles over the phone for the discussion.

Beijing: China will donate three lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses to Sri Lanka, stepping up its vaccine diplomacy in South Asia as India rushed its domestically manufactured coronavirus vaccines to several countries in the subcontinent as well as across the globe.
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Thursday thanked India for its generosity after he received five lakh doses of Covishield vaccine gifted by New Delhi under the “Neighbourhood First” policy.

“China will donate three lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses to Sri Lanka to jointly fight the COVID-19 pandemic,” state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday, citing a statement from the Chinese embassy in Colombo.

China made the decision after a recent request by the Lankan government, it said.

The jabs manufactured by the China National Pharmaceutical Group Co Ltd (Sinopharm) are expected to be handed over to the Lankan side in mid-February.

A number of countries in the subcontinent including Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, where Beijing has substantial investments, caught China by surprise by opting for Indian vaccines.

So far, India has sent consignments of coronavirus vaccines under grant assistance to Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Seychelles, Myanmar and Mauritius.

India is one of the world’s biggest drug-makers and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring the coronavirus vaccines.

It is also undertaking commercial supplies of the doses to a number of countries, including Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil and Morocco. India has also rushed two million doses of Covishield vaccine to Brazil on the request of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

Meanwhile, Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s senior advisor Lalith Weeratunga told journalists in Colombo on Wednesday that the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) was conducting tests on the Sinopharm vaccine and once clearance is obtained from them, the vaccine could be used under an emergency basis, the Xinhua report said.

Separately, China has offered to step-up cooperation to Maldives to control the pandemic.

On January 26, Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui co-hosted the 7th round of China-Maldives diplomatic consultations with Maldivian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel via video link.

Luo Zhaohui said China and Maldives supported each other, effectively contained the virus spread in their countries, and actively promoted economic recovery.

Both sides need to make continuous efforts to push forward their bilateral relations, a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said.