During the reception of the first ship that docked at the Vizhinjam International Sea Port on October 15, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that some international lobbies were trying to work against the progress of the port, which would be a source of pride for the country. Some commercial lobbies were also not interested in this project, he said. Despite the obstacles, the project has persevered and will be a great contribution from Kerala to the country, he added.

“The state of Kerala has proven that nothing is impossible, as demonstrated by the successful completion of this port. The Adani group assured us that we could commission the project within five to six months, and this has become a dream come true for us. The unity of our state played a big role in making this happen. We did this despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

He also mentioned the possibilities of the port. “This port is a rarity in the world, and its possibilities are endless even though our knowledge of it is currently limited. We are certain that its development will exceed our imaginations.”

The Zhen Hua 15 was the first ship to arrive at the Vizhinjam port, welcomed with fireworks and balloon release. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was the chief guest at the inaugural function. Adani Port’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Karan Adani, Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan, Congress Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, and other state ministers also spoke at the function.

However, the fisher folk staying in the neighbourhood are not happy with the celebrations since all their demands, placed before the government ahead of the project, have not been realised. Last year, they had protested for weeks in Thiruvananthapuram, led by the Latin Church authorities, asking the government to meet their demands before proceeding with the port project.