As Kerala celebrates the arrival of the world’s largest container ship, MSC Irina, at the newly inaugurated Vizhinjam International Seaport, a wave of reflection has swept across neighbouring Tamil Nadu. Many are now asking: what if India’s first deepwater transshipment hub had been built not in Kerala, but in Tamil Nadu?
That possibility nearly became reality. The proposed Colachel (later Enayam) deepwater port, backed by the Central Government, had the potential to position Tamil Nadu—already a manufacturing powerhouse—directly on the global shipping map. But the project faced fierce opposition from local groups, some of whom were backed by political and religious figures.
Among the most vocal was Jegath Gaspar Raj, a Christian priest with known leanings toward the DMK. Speaking at a church gathering during the height of protests against the Enayam port, Gaspar invoked religious sentiment to mobilize resistance.
“All elders are here, don’t mistake me—but tell me, how many factories are there? Not even one,” Gaspar said, addressing a coastal congregation. “For a district that does not have a factory, what is the need for an international container port? Why? For whom is this destruction meant?”
He went further, describing the proposed port as a threat not only to livelihoods but to divine creation itself, “You are destroying 56 fishing villages… a scheme is being written to destroy the history, livelihood, future of coastal people. This is not just a challenge—it is a danger to a land lovingly created by God… It is our duty to stand up against the evil forces, the forces of the devil.”
The priest’s impassioned speech, delivered at the Arokya Matha church festival in Thoothoor, appealed to religious identity over economic opportunity. “I came here to Arokya Mother’s festival to tell you that message, I was invited by the youth of this village and i decided to come here. That is because, we have to prove that we are god’s children every day. it is one thing to prove that by our daily activities. it is also one thing to cherish his love, yearn for his love, and fall in love with his love is one thing. but when it comes to time and duty, it is important to hold on to and protect the eternal wonders that God created for us. dear people of Thoothoor, you are people of history, I believe that you are, whether you believe it or not. 25-30 years ago, when I came here, it used to be a matter of pride to see the healthy physique of all the people here. it would remind us of the people of olden days. if you are owners of such a legacy, please i request you in the name of God, this district’s coastal side is holy and was created lovingly by God.”
Now, as Vizhinjam surges ahead—hailed by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Adani Ports MD Karan Adani as a transformative hub for global transshipment—many in Tamil Nadu are left wondering whether political short-sightedness and the mixing of religious rhetoric with infrastructure policy cost the state a historic opportunity.
இன்னிக்கு நாடே வியந்து பேசிட்டு இருப்பது மிக பெரிய சரக்கு கப்பல் MSCi Irana கப்பல் கேரளாவின் #VizhinjamPort வந்தது தான்.
இதே துறைமுகம் தமிழகத்தின் கன்னியாகுமரி La இணையம் பகுதியில் வர வேண்டியது.
அதை தடுத்தது யார்??
இதோ இந்த கும்பல் தான்..pic.twitter.com/9U8txHsHOk
— Matt murdock🚀 (@mattmurock123) June 10, 2025
The contrast could not be starker. While Kerala positions Vizhinjam as a strategic answer to Sri Lanka’s Colombo Port, Tamil Nadu’s Colachel proposal remains buried—derailed, in part, by a campaign that, critics argue, sacrificed development at the altar of dogma.
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