The Christian conversion mafia is reportedly instigating violence at the Vizhinjam port site near Thiruvananthapuram. They claim to be fishermen, but locals say they are anarchists hell-bent on blocking progress. Incidentally, the ‘protests’ coincided with the movement of a Chinese spy vessel in nearby Sri Lanka. 

On Friday, the fourth day of violence, protesters from nearby coastal hamlets led by Latin Archdiocese priests continued to occupy the port’s main entrance. Slogans suggested the usual far-left socialist ones like environmental degradation, coastal erosion, kerosene subsidies, promised land and compensation, and a whole host of other issues. Crucially, they have halted construction by blocking the materials from entering the site. Bharat’s naval and trade powers will significantly improve once the Vizhinjam port gets completed. 

Multiple reasons, including the local government’s inability to arrange boulders, floods, cyclones, and coronavirus lockdowns, have already delayed the project. Vizhinjam port is a planned transshipment port. Such ports are trading points where goods may be imported, stored, or traded, usually to be exported again. A severe shortage of limestone has been the biggest issue till now. Even though the government granted licenses to 20 quarries, only one was operational in January 2020, more than five years after construction began.

As per the agreement, Adani will operate the port for 40 years, with an option for a further 20 years, and the state government will receive a share of the profits after 15 years. Once completed, this port will be among Bharat’s deepest. Because it is the only transshipment hub on the subcontinent, is situated in the middle of Bharat’s coastline, and is closest to the international shipping lanes, Vizhinjam is expected to provide stiff competition to the transshipment ports of Colombo, Singapore, and Dubai. 

There is another port called the Vallarpadam terminal in Ernakulam, but Dubai-based DP World handles it, and no one knows its profit-sharing ratio, even if there is any. Labor issues also trouble it, and it remains mostly idle. There are many comparisons between the Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka, where the Chinese spy ship is stationed, and Vallarpadam. 

Pinarayi Vijayan, his family, CPM leaders, MLAs, and a host of cronies are facing serious charges, such as smuggling gold with links to terror finance, laundering ill-gotten proceeds using absconding Christian Godmen like KP Yohannan. Distractions like the Vizhinjam one are a well-deserved break from public view. This is not the case for the minister of ports, who is not even a communist but an Islamist. More on him and his party later.

Vizhinjam port is being built by the Adani group for around Rs. 7,500 crores. Kerala, state of around 3.30 crore citizens, has a cumulative debt of Rs. 3.32 lakh crores. Properly handled ports are essential to lighten the burden for future generations and leave fewer carbon footprints. Any delays will cost us, and anti-nationals are trying to stop construction. 

The government expressed optimism last month that it would be able to obtain the granite needed for the proposed SilverLine semi-high speed project from neighboring states. Tamil Nadu has managed to supply just 13.36% of the quantity of limestone ordered from them for the Vizhinjam project. Communist goons also charge Nokku Kooli (gawking charges) when the going gets tough.

Reasons for the church getting involved are complex and many. What is suspicious is that the protestors wanted access to the construction area. Hundreds of miscreants led by some Latin (Roman) Catholic priests pushed aside police personnel, broke barricades, and entered the site. To add ghee to the fire, the Congress’ Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, visited the protest site and backed the protests.

Satheesan told the protestors that the coastal areas of eastern Bharat were ‘in danger’ in the past, but now it was happening in Kerala. Ironically, Satheesan’s then chief minister Oommen Chandy granted Adani the project in 2015. As expected from Congress, there were irregularities involved. 

Church-sponsored malcontents and hooligans delayed the crucial Kudankulam power plant hitting us at a time when energy needs were fast growing. In 2018, violent protests saw the closure of the Sterlite copper plant near Thoothukudi, also on the East coast. As a result, we have now become almost totally dependent on imports to procure copper, a critical component in electronics and other industries.

Both these ‘protests’ were instigated by the Naxal/church combine and provided cover fire by their left-liberal cronies in media and Lutyens’ circles. Now the action has moved to Kerala. Back then, the Christians and the Congress had far better clout, but now not as much. Nothing works better to keep the pot boiling than violence and anarchy. 

Ahamed Devarkovil from the Indian National League (INL) handles the ministry of ports in Kerala. In response to the Indian Union Muslim League’s (IUML) continued association with the Congress after the disputed Babri structure was demolished, the INL was founded. INL has in the past called for a “janeu cutting” protest, demanded that homosexuals be killed, and tied up with other Islamist parties in far-away UP! It was considered so communal by veteran CPM leaders like VS Achuthanandan that is stayed out of the formal LDF (Left Front) fold for two decades before Pinarayi Vijayan formally inducted INL into the LDF in 2018 as a ‘thank you’ for Muslim support.

Ahamed won from Kozhikode by a margin of around 12,000 votes. His party has just one seat in the 140 assembly constituencies, yet they got the lucrative ports portfolio. Another minister from Malabar is Vijayan’s son-in-law, Mohammed Riyas. 

It is alleged that Riyas and Ahamed run the show and the church now feels left out. Interestingly, even the opposition does not question or follow up on corruption charges against these two. Most of the benefits and freebies are being cornered by the so-called Muslim minorities. Combined with provocation by the parish priests, young Christians and gullible fisherfolk are up in arms. 

The local CPM government does not seem interested and is not taking precautions to counter a full-scale attack in Vizhinjam. Cabinet ministers are looking to borrow Rs. 1,000 crores to pay government employees their Onam bonuses. Kerala government spends around Rs.5,000 crores on just the pensions and salaries of a select few every month. This amount shoots up to 8,000 crores during festivals.