Page 275 - Failure to Triumph - Journey of A Student

and England. These countries have been able to convince Iran to temporarily suspend the nuclear
activities till the talks are on. Iran cooperated with them. But now, Iran is defiant and conveyed that it
cannot wait infinitely and is about to resume. The EU has still not finalized its offer to Iran that what
incentives it can give to Iran in lieu of giving up its nuclear programme. Most likely, Iran will not stop

its nuclear programme as it claims it is for peaceful purposes.

North Korea

North Korea declared in 2003 that it is walking out of the NPT and told the world that it has produced
nuclear weapons. The news surprised the world and they tried to engage North Korea for abandoning
its programme. It is well known that scientists from China and Pakistan helped North Korea to
develop the weapons to counter American influence in this area. The Americans have their bases in
South Korea. A group of six countries namely, North Korea, South Korea, USA, Russia, China and

Japan have been formed to negotiate with North Korea for abandoning the programme. The talks had
broken down after two rounds but have resumed again. The Chinese are trying to convince North
Korea for abandoning the programme. They have even offered energy from South Korea and Japan.
There is no firm commitment from North Korea yet. North Korea fired missiles over sea of Japan on
June 6, 2006. America and Japan have taken a strong stand against these tests and have requested
China to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear plans. Recently, North Korea has agreed to

open up its reactors to IAEA inspection.

SETHUSAMUDRAM SHIPPING CHANNEL PROJECT

Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project proposes linking the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar
between India and Sri Lanka by creating a shipping channel through the shallow sea sometimes called
Setu Samudram, and through the chain of islands variously known as Ramar Palam, Ram Sethu and
Adam’s Bridge. This would provide a continuous navigable sea route in and around the Indian
Peninsula. The project involves digging a 44.9 nautical mile (83 km) long deepwater channel linking

the shallow water of the Palk Strait with the Gulf of Mannar. Conceived as early as 1860 by Alfred
Dundas Taylor, it recently received approval of the Indian government. Government of India plans to
break limestone shells and shores to the infinity called Ram’s Bridge or Ram Sethu as part of
implementation of this project. A few organizations are opposing damage to Ramasethu on religious,
environmental and economic grounds. Many of these parties or organizations support implementation

of this project using one of the five alternative alignments considered earlier without damaging a
structure considered sacred by Hindus. Current alignment is planned as Mid-ocean channel which is
unprecedented. Other famous shipping canal projects like Suez Canal and Panama Canal projects are
land based channels.

History

Due to shallow waters, Sethusamudram presents a formidable hindrance to navigation through the
Palk Strait. Though trade across the India-Sri Lanka divide has been active since at least the first

millennium BCE, it has been limited to small boats and dinghies. Larger ocean going vessels from the