After many months of delays, the Indian cruise ship ‘Sivaganga’ will begin regular ferry services between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu, India, and Kankesanturai in the North-East from August 16.
The service, operated by Ind Shree Ferry Services from Andaman, is expected to meet the long-standing demand for a reliable sea route between Tamil Nadu and the North-East.
According to reports, if the cruise ship begins its voyage, it can seat 133 in the ordinary class and 27 in the premium class. Ticket prices have already been advertised, starting at INR 5,000 for a one-way journey INR 7,500 for premium class. Passengers are permitted to carry up to 60kg in check-in luggage and 5kg in hand.
The new route, if successful will increase connectivity between India and the homeland, which some Tamil politicians said the Sri Lankan government was willfully trying to thwart.
Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, a Member of Parliament from the Illangai Tamil Arasu Katchi, raised concerns over the Sri Lankan Government's attempts to obstruct the initiation of a ferry service.
He told parliament that the government was preventing the launch of a ferry service that would enable Sri Lankan refugees residing in Tamil Nadu to return to Sri Lanka, along with their goods, which cannot be easily transported by air. Rasamanickam emphasized that it appeared as though the Sri Lankan Government was infringing upon the rights of certain Sri Lankan individuals who desired to return to their homeland via this ferry service.
The ferry service between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu, and Kankesanthurai (KKS) in Jaffna, was inaugurated on October 14, 2023. The high-speed ferry, operated by the Shipping Corporation of India, marked the revival of sea connectivity between Tamil Eelam and Tamil Nadu after a hiatus of 40 years. However, the service was later repeatedly postponed due to reported technical issues with the ferry.
