Jump to content

Anarchy in Ceylon


king of cochin

Recommended Posts

Officials of Cochin Protectorate Administration are surveying Ceylon and organizing supply routes and logistic routes to provide for any shortage of food and fuel in the area. Several freighters are already en route to ports in Ceylon from Tuticorin and Karwar bringing in food and medicines.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Cochin Protectorate Administration has finished surveying the entire terrain of Lanka. The gross shortages and civilian calamities wrought about by years of Andonian rule has been noted and a comprehensive program for the development of Lanka and alleviation of basic troubles of Lankans are being organized by Cochin Protectorate Administration. 6th Airborne Division from Male Island is the principal armed forces part of the Cochin Protectorate Administration. Due to the civil nature of the problem, one full brigade, ie, the 4th brigade of the Venad Airborne, a force of 10,000 including 2500 combat personnel are currently involved in civilian relief operations in Lanka.

The relief and administration efforts are centered around Colombo but regional medical centers and rural hospitals are already being restocked and replenished by the Medical personnel of the brigade with more assistance called forth from Ministry of Health in the Kingdom.

A convoy of ships are presently enroute to various ports of Lanka like Kankasanturai, Trincomalee, Galle, Batticaloa, Arugam Bay and Colombo from the major trade ports of Cochin. Food grains and medicines from National Reserve stocks are being released as per the orders of the King from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka provinces.

The King of Cochin is expected to visit Lanka in the near future to over see the relief efforts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Several tonnes of ammunition and weapon stocks belonging to former Andonian military are being destroyed in armories across Lanka in order to prevent their handling and misuse by civilians. Royal Cochin Coast Guard Tuticorin, Trivandrum and Malrives sectors are patrolling the coasts of Lanka to provide rescue assistance for the fishing communities. The Cochin Protectorate Administration has integrated the existing law and order structure of Lanka with the 4/6 Airborne Division's military police units to ease the law and order situation across the island nation. The local administrative system has also been integrated by the Cochin Protectorate Administration which is being assisted by a special team from Ministry of Interior and Cochin Civil Service.

The engineer units of the 4th Brigade, Venad Airborne are also being employed to maintained the various ports of Lanka to facilitate the arrival of heavy construction equipment which would be used to rebuild the infrastructure across the island. P Ramalinga Iyer, a senior CCS official in Ministry of Interior has been appointed as interim Governor of Lanka Protectorate and Prasanna Vickremasinghe, the former Mayor of Colombo has been appointed as Special Assistant to the Governor to facilitate the rehabilitation and redevelopment projects being carried out in Lanka.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The MH53 flying across the Central Lankan plains is maintaining an altitude of 2000 ft, high enough for a speedy transit as well as low enough for its passenger to see the countryside flying past him.

His Highness Kerala Varma, the King of Cochin had arrived at Colombo and after having a conference with senior officials of Cochin Protectorate Administration, Ministry of Interior and 6 Airbor Division is now enroute to Batticaloa, a seaside town on the East coast of the island. The passing countryside is testament to the dedicated effort by the Kingdom to rapidly improve the conditions of Lankans. Roads are being rebuilt, various industries are being restarted, several houses are being built, all in all a nation is being uplifted. The King had not intended that the Kingdom would have an extended presence in Lanka, the helpers must not be seen as invaders after all. However efforts by Cochin Protectorate Administration were facing certain roadblocks. It was to find closure to this unique issue that he is going.

At the makeshift helipad at Batticaloa, Paratroopers from the 6th Airborne Division were already standing perimeter guard while the advance team from King's Guard who had landed in their own MH53 just minutes earlier were forming a smaller periphery. Prasanna Vickremasinghe, the former Mayor and current Special Assistant to Governor was standing nearby shielding his eyes from the swirling draft of the helicopter's rotor blades. As the roar of engines died down, Kerala Varma welcomed the heady sound of an Ocean lashing onto the rocks and sand of the beach. Wearing a light colored Safari suit, Kerala Varma followed Vickremasinghe. Prasanna led the King towards a sedan but the King suggested they walk. After all it is only a short distance away.

The lush green beauty of the place and signs of development all around them reminded Kerala Varma of his ancestral lands in Kerala, now thankfully once again part of his Kingdom. He could however see remnants of the ravages of neglect and disrepair by years of Andonian rule. The fishing community at Batticaloa was apparently once very prosperous, with its own traditional shipyards. But all these were now in ruins. Perhaps some day they would be reborn once again.

The entourage was then welcomed by people standing on either side of the road and led towards a school building where a council was being held. Batticaloa's population being a mixture of Sinhalese, Tamilians, Moors, Veddars and Burghers, it was a beacon of inter-communal harmony. It is also a principal cultural center of Lanka. It was here that the King of Cochin was invited by the Council of Elders. Senior community leaders they welcomed Kerala Varma and bade him sit in a decorated chair kept there.

However seeing that the Council itself sat on mats on the floor, Kerala Varma refused the chair and sat amongst them.

"Welcome to Batticaloa and welcome to Lanka, Your Excellency. Thank you for accepting our invitations," an old man of 70 said.
"It is my honor to have been invited here. May I know why though?" Kerala Varma asked.
"We would like to thank you and your nation for all the help and development you have brought to our impoverished nation. The past year has seen a prosperity and peace the like of which we have not seen in the past few decades."
"Please Sir, do not humble me in that way. It is my duty and duty of my nation that we extend our help to our neighbors especially when they are going through dire circumstances. We wanted to help you sooner but for fear of being condemned as invaders by the Andonian Government we could not risk it. We had to wait until assured of anarchy of Andonia."
"We understand and we respect the sagacity of your decision. However, we now fear from our dear friend Prasanna, that Lanka is to remain a Protectorate of Cochin?"
"Yes, that is our intention as of now. In these times of strife, we thought we could assist you by providing an umbrella of security and stability. We do not intend to impose our governance on you and in fact wish Lanka to be as autonomous as possible and if a genuine government wishes to arise to facilitate it," Kerala Varma said.
"Ah yes, Your Excellency, that is the problem. We, the council have decided that we do not want to be a protectorate, we want to join the Kingdom as one of your Provinces."

Kerala Varma was surprised at this suggestion and did not speak for a full minute. After this pause he spoke up," Sir, you wish your nation to be under Cochin governance? You are voluntarily asking to be subjects of my Crown?"
"Yes, Your Excellency. Tales of your Kingdom have reached us for a long time. We have seen the way you conquered India and all its variety of people. We have seen the bonds of harmony strengthened and prosperity once again adorning the homes. Our Tamil brothers still maintain relations with their relatives in Tamil Nadu and hence we know of the benefits we gain as your subjects. We want our people to prosper, we want our nation to be as developed as Cochin. We know that the Kingdom of Cochin is not an oppressive government, that there is far greater democracy and citizens' representation than in most proclaimed democracies of the world. Hence we wish to be part of your nation."

Kerala Varma was greatly joyed at this request and thought for a full 3 minutes before answering,"Sir, I am honored to know of the appreciation you hold for my nation, and am truly humbled by your praises. Indeed Lanka shall become a part of our nation. I promise you, Sir, in your time you would see Lanka blossoming as the true jewel of Indian Ocean. Thank you."

Thus decision was taken to incorporate Lanka as a sovereign province of the Kingdom of Cochin. The procedures would take their own time, but from henceforth all efforts are being started to bring Lanka on par with the rest of the Kingdom.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[color="#FF0000"][size="6"][center][u][b]KINGDOM OF COCHIN ANNEXES LANKA[/b][/u][/center][/size][/color]

[center][img]http://i710.photobucket.com/albums/ww110/gokulvarmank/flag2.jpg[/img][/center]

[center][size="3"][b]The Kingdom of Cochin announces to the world that the Ceylon is being incorporated as a sovereign province of the Kingdom of Cochin. The decision is as a result of popular sentiment by the people of Lanka to join the Kingdom. The Kingdom shall commence upon an accelerated plan to rebuild Lanka to the same standard of development as the rest of the nation[/b][/size][/center].

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[center][u][b]LANKA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM[/b][/u][/center]

A comprehensive plan to integrate Lanka and bring it on par with the rest of the Kingdom is being launched by the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Transportation and Ministry of Finance.

As part of this project the following large scale projects are envisaged.

1. Improvement of road and rail networks in Lanka to bring them to same standard and gauge as National Railway Network. This includes electrification, gauge widening and path doubling of railway networks.

[img]http://www.mapsofworld.com/sri-lanka/srilanka_rail_map.gif[/img]

2. Following stretches of new railway routes would also be developed.
Ilavankulam - Marichhukaddi
Marichhukaddi - Mannar
Mannar - Kilinocchi
Anuradhapura - Batticaloa
Colombo - Hambantota
Hambantota - Batticaloa

3. The following ports would be improved and redeveloped for commercial purposes:

Colombo, Galle, Batticaloa

4. A new naval base would be established at Hambantota

5. A new rail/road link would be built connecting Talaimannar with Rameshwaram, thus connecting it with the National Railway Network. This would involve building an all weather heavy duty bridge across the Palk Straits.

6. Promotion of commercial ship building industry at Batticaloa.

7. Establishing a National Sinhala University at Kandy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Ministry of Transportation is issuing a tender for construction of rail/road links between Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu and Talaimannar in Lanka Provinces.

The requirements are:


Two three lane bridges with independent support structures. Elevated Central Span to be at least 30 meters above sea level.
Two single lane railway bridges capable of carrying a heavy freight train at 60kmph.
A two lane Maglev support bridge.

The following contractors have already submitted their quotes.

Larsen and Toubro.
TP Balagopalan Associates.

Foreign competition is welcomed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Kingdom of Cochin thanks the Malay Federation for their words of appreciation. Lankans were our neighbors so it was only our duty to help them. Now they are our citizens so it is a greater imperative to bring prosperity to them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[center][u][b]ROYAL COCHIN DEFENSE FORCES PRESS BRIEFING[/b][/u][/center]

RCDF has announced today at a press meeting at Colombo the list of Royal Cochin Defense Forces facilities and installations expected to be built at Lanka.

Royal Cochin Army - RCA would be building Brigade Support Bases at Jaffna, Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Kandy, Galle and Colombo. The 6th Airborne Division could most likely have their Regimental Headquarters transferred from Male in Maldives to Galle. The Brigade Support Bases would serve mainly as preposition bases for the Local Area Attrition Defense possibilities in Lanka.

Royal Cochin Air Force - RCAF would be building Forward Air Bases at Galle, Batticaloa and Jaffna with Auxiliary Air Bases at all principal towns.

Royal Cochin Navy - RCN would be building a fleet base RCNB Hambantota in south of Lanka and also improve yard facilities in Colombo port.

Royal Cochin Coast Guard - RCCG would be establishing Zonal Stations at Jaffna, Mannar, Kalpitiya, Chilaw, Panadura, Ambalangoda, Tangalla, Pottuvil, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Mullaithivu.

National Defense Corps - NDC would be composed of civilians with military experience including those who have service experience in the military of former Andonia. Reserve personnel in Lanka would be given refresher training by Training Command.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[center][u][b]TRANSFER OF GOVERNANCE COMPLETED[/b][/u][/center]

Kingdom of Cochin announces that the formal transfer of governance has now been completed with the Ministry of Interior taking over administration of Lanka Province from Cochin Protectorate Administration and Royal Cochin Police Force taking over Law and Order duties from the 6th Airborne Division whose 4th Brigade which was doing protectorate duties has now become a garrison force.

Prasanna Vickremasinghe has been appointed as Governor of Lanka by HH Kerala Varma, the King of Cochin and Maj. Gen. Aaru Swamy of Royal Cochin Police Force has been appointed as the Deputy Inspector General of Lanka Province.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ministry of Transportation has issued the contract to build the proposed Sethusamudram Bridge system connecting Rameshwaram and Talaimannar to Larsen and Toubro.

The contract for extending the current rail and road links between Rameshwaram-Pamban and Talaimannar-Mannar has been issued to TP Balagopalan and Company and Corps of Engineers (Quarter Master Command) respectively.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

National Power Grid has started its plans to integrate Lanka Power Network to the National Grid. Six TROPS-F 600 MW Thorium powered reactors are going to be installed in Lanka along with several Rectennas for TESLA satellites. State Bank of Tripunithura under the aegis of Royal Treasury would initiate an industrial sponsorship program by which existing industries in Lanka would be given adequate monetary assistance to improve their technology and infrastructure to compete on par with the other Cochin industries flooding into Lankan markets. Pilot projects in this sector includes the traditional ship building yards in Batticaloa and commercial boatyards in Trincomalee.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Sethusamudram Bridge Project has been started by Larsen and Toubro. The principal construction yards for the project have been arranged by L&T at Tharuvaikulam, north of Tuticorin Port. The Tuticorin old port has been modified into a barge terminal and several heavy load shallow barges have been contracted by L&T. The structural fabrications would be completely be done at the massive construction yard in Tharuvaikulam, transported by truck to the barge terminal, transferred to the barges by a set of cranes leased from Tuticorin's Annadurai Boatyards and then the barges would transport the materials to the new barge dock constructed along the south beach of Rameshwaram. The Bridge Assembly Yard in Rameswaram would involve the entire southern half of Rameshwaram and the land has been leased from the local owners by the company.

The materials from the barges are offloaded by a set of specialized cranes belonging to L&T and then the heavy construction equipments would start the assembly process. Similar Bridge Assembly Yard has also been built on the southern coast of Mannar Island, south of Talaimannar Port.

The support towers for the Sethusamudran bridges would lie on the either side of the chain of sandbanks and limestone shoals that presently constitute Rama Setu or Adam's Bridge. Larsen and Toubro are under strict instructions not to cause any harm to the historical geological formation.

Each of 5 bridges that would come up here would be 55 kilometers long in which fully 53 kilometers would be over the sea. Each bridge would comprise of 106 support pillars supporting the bridge at a height of 30 meters above maximum recorded sea level in this region. L&T has also planned for a reinforced central span where there will be a fuel station and parking area for tourists for the road bridges. This would need 6 extra pillars.

Thus a total of 542 massive support pillars have to be constructed. The base dredging have started from the two sides and after foundations have been fabricated on site, the remaining structural elements would be brought by barge and assembled onto the bridge by two massive maritime crane, which is being built for L&T by Kochi Shipyards in Ernakulam and Ratnagiri Shipyards. The cranes are expected to enter in service by the time the foundations are ready to support the pillars. The maritime cranes are both 60 meters high and 300 meters long.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

TPB &Co has started renovation and extension works on the Rameshwaram-Pamban bridge section. The expansion is commensurate with the Sethusamudram Bridge Project. Quarter Master Command has also started corresponding work in the Talaimannar-Mannar bridge section.

In view of the closure of these bridges due to works, Ministry of Transportation has tasked Department of Shipping to station four Stena Class ferries to operate between Mannar and Ramanathapuram thus clearing the traffic load at Pamban and Talaimannar to ensure unrestricted construction efforts. The ferries would also stop at the docks in Rameshwaram and Talaimannar to provide connectivity to the people in these areas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Colombo Port has been reopened for commercial purposes by Department of Shipping, Ministry of Transportation. The Galle Port is being renovated by Quarter Master Command while tenders are opened for the development of Batticaloa Port.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The foundations for the two kilometers each of bridge elevation spans have been completed and the support structures for the angular span is being constructed. The 1km long angular stretch which take the bridge to its 30 meters elevation is one of the few only customized design structure for the bridge. Apart from the central span the remaining stretches would be pretty much of uniform design cross section. The structures for these parts of the bridges have arrived at Rameshwaram and Talaimannar. The new fabrication yards in Tharuvaikulam are now tooling up to build the support pillars and elevated bridge sections required to build the majority of the bridge as the specialized fabrication teams are building the elevated spans for the remaining 4 bridges.

The first bridge that is being built is one of the two highway bridges. Priority is to complete this bridge span which would alleviate the traffic concerns greatly and would speed up construction of the remaining bridges. The first maritime crane being built at Kochi Shipyards is ready for commissioning as the foundation works from Rameshwaram end are progressing. A total of 4 of the 106 support pillar foundations have been completed in preparations for the arrival of maritime cranes.

Meanwhile a brisk ferry network is alleviating the connectivity needs between the provinces.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

With the two maritime cranes now fully in operation the Sethusamudram Bridge project is speeding up. A total of 58 support pillars have been completed and the elevated span of the bridge is forming up from the two shores to meet midway over the channel. Already piling work teams are preparing the foundations for the remaining bridges. Of the 53 kilometers of span over sea, 12+12 kilometers have now been completed.

Meanwhile the renovation of the Pamban Bridge and the Mannar-Talaimannar bridge has been completed and has been open to traffic. However civilian traffic is still sticking to the ferry services as the bridges are now mostly supporting the construction efforts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The first bridge of Sethusamudram Bridge Project was completed just as the sovereignty of Lanka was transferred to Sri Lanka. The number of industries that had set up shop in Lanka would continue to remain there, hoping that the government of Sri Lanka would not slow down the economic contacts that had been built up between the Kingdom and the island nation.

As the first bridge is now opened to road traffic, the work on the remaining 4 bridges are going on at a fast pace. One of the rail bridges is being formed up as the Maritime Cranes are assembling the pillars and elevated sections.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

The second bridge of the Sethusamudram Bridge Project was inaugurated as one of the railway bridges was finally commissioned. Now with a road bridge and a rail bridge in service between the two land masses accessibility has been restored. The restoration work of Pamban bridge and the Mannar Bridge has also now been completed by TPB &Co and Corps of Engineers. With the second road bridge nearing completion, second rail bridge nearly half completed and the foundations being prepared for the HSRC bridge, the Sethusamdudram Bridge is finally taking shape.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The two road bridges and two rail bridges of the Sethusamudram Bridge Project has now been completed with only the HSRC span left to be completed. Though the formal inauguration would be completed after the HSRC span is completed, the bridge has already been open to traffic. The ferries operating would still remain to offset the traffic problems likely to ensue due to the near continuous transit of troops from Sri Lanka to Bengal via Cochin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

The High Speed Rail Corridor span of the Sethusamudram bridge has now been completed thus marking the completion of the Sethusamudram Bridge Project which connects Indian Subcontinent with the island of Sri Lanka. A formal inauguration run would soon be done by the heads of state of both Kingdom of Cochin and Republic of Sri Lanka as a mark of the friendship and trust between the two nations.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

President Rajapaksa and the Prime Minister would both attend the event to show the friendship and unity of Sri Lanka and the Kingdom, two strong nations in southern Asia.
He would, of course, hold a short speech on this friendship, how Cochin enabled them self-determination and a few other things, in the end just showing how much he appreciated the Kingdom (without looking like he was attempting to crawl into their rear-end).

Edited by Lynneth
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...