PM Modi makes pitch for Tamil as tech meets tradition in Pamban

RAMESWARAM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Pamban bridge, India's first vertical lift sea bridge and flagged off a train service linking Rameswaram island to the rest of the country, while Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin skipped the event.

Modi flagged off a Coast Guard ship that sailed under the bridge and also laid the foundation stone for and dedicated to the nation various rail and road projects worth over Rs 8,300 crore.

In his address, Modi said the day marked the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami and that Lord Ram's good governance is the foundation for nation building. He also outlined the connect Tamil Nadu had to Lord Ram by quoting Sangam era literature.

The PM said the new Pamban bridge to Rameswaram symbolises the union of technology and tradition and that a town "thousands of years old" is now connected by a 21st-century engineering marvel.

While the CM, who has been at loggerheads with the central government over its three-language policy, gave the event a miss, Modi utilised the opportunity to make a strong pitch for Tamil and asserted that all efforts are on to take the language and heritage across the world. He asked the Tamil Nadu government to impart medical education in Tamil medium to benefit the poor and said the state got 11 new medical colleges in recent years.

Without naming anyone, Modi said he gets letters from leaders of Tamil Nadu and "they do not sign in Tamil. At least put your signature in Tamil."

Earlier, the prime minister prayed at the Ramanathaswamy temple here. “Rameswaram remains the land of Dr Abdul Kalam and his life has shown us how science and spirituality complemented each other," he said.

Lauding the hard work of Tamil Nadu's fishing community, he said over the past five years, the state has received substantial funds under the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, stressing the government's efforts to provide modern facilities for fishermen, including investments worth hundreds of crores in seaweed parks, fishing harbours, and landing centres. On the fishermen issue vis-a-vis Sri Lanka, he said over the past decade, more than 3,700 fishermen have been brought back from Sri Lanka, including over 600 in the past year alone.

Against the background of the DMK regime crying foul over fund allocation to the state, Modi said over the past decade, the central government has allocated three times more funds for Tamil Nadu's development compared to the period before 2014. The state witnessed a seven-fold increase in its railway budget and yet, some still "cry" over funds.

The over Rs 8,300 crore projects include foundation stone for four-laning of 28-km Walajapet–Ranipet section of NH-40 and dedication of 4-laned 29-km Viluppuram– Puducherry section of NH-332 to the nation. The prime minister also flagged off the Rameshwaram-Tambaram Express that will run between Chennai and Rameshwaram daily on the new bridge.