Forty years after it was disrupted due to civil war in Sri Lanka, ferry services between India and the island republic resumed on Saturday, a move Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed as an "important milestone" in strengthening bilateral ties.

Welcoming the resumption of ferry services, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said it will help improve the connectivity, trade and cultural links between the two countries The service between Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam and Kankesanthurai near Jaffna in the northern province of Sri Lanka aims to revive the ancient maritime connection between the two neighbours.

The high-speed ferry operated by the Shipping Corporation of India SCI has a capacity of 150 passengers and would cover a distance of about 60 nm (110 Km) between Nagapattinam and Kankesanthurai in about 3.5 hours depending on the sea conditions.

In its inaugural journey, the vessel named Cheriyapani traveled with 50 passengers to Sri Lanka and will return to India by evening with passengers from the island nation. The passengers on the maiden voyage expressed joy over sailing to Sri Lanka.

Prime Minister Modi said ferry service between India and the Sri Lanka will enhance connectivity, promote trade and reinforce the longstanding bonds between the two countries.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described the milestone event as a "big step for people to people contacts between India and Sri Lanka." In a video message, Modi said the service brings alive all historical and cultural connections.

"Connectivity is not only about bringing two cities closer. It also brings our countries closer, our people closer and our hearts closer," he said.

The prime minister said India and Sri Lanka are embarking on a "new chapter in diplomatic and economic relations" and the launch of a ferry service between Nagapattinam and Kankesanthurai is an "important milestone" in strengthening the relations.

Underlining the shared history of culture, commerce and civilisation between India and Sri Lanka, he pointed out that Nagapattinam and nearby towns have been known for sea trade with many countries, including Sri Lanka, and the historical port of Poompuhar finds a mention as a hub in ancient Tamil literature.

He also spoke about Sangam age literature like Pattinappalai and Manimekalai which describe the movement of boats and ships between the two countries.

Modi also touched upon the great poet Subramania Bharti's song 'Sindhu Nadhiyin Misai', which mentions a bridge connecting India and Sri Lanka. He said the ferry service brings alive all those historical and cultural connections.

During the recent visit of President Wickremesinghe, a vision document was jointly adopted for an economic partnership with the central theme of connectivity, the PM said.

He emphasised connectivity enhances trade, tourism and people-to-people ties, while also creating new opportunities for the youth of both countries. Modi also recalled his visit to Sri Lanka in 2015 when direct flights between Delhi and Colombo were launched.

Wickremesignhe said the "ferry service is an important step in increasing the connectivity between India and Sri Lanka." "For thousands of years, people have traversed the Palk Strait to travel from the Indian subcontinent to this island and from Sri Lanka back to the Indian subcontinent. This is how our cultures have developed. This is how our trade developed," Wickremesinghe said in a recorded video message at the inauguration of the ferry service.

Stating that the connectivity between "our two countries" was disrupted due to the war in the north, the President said, "now peace has returned and we can re-establish the sea connectivity" and then thanked Modi, the Indian Shipping Corporation "for the role they have played in re-establishing this connectivity." The initiative aims to revive the historical maritime connections dating to the early 1900s. The Indo-Ceylon Express that was operated between Chennai and Colombo via Thoothukudi, ceased its operations in 1982 due to the civil war in Sri Lanka.

In order to commence the service, the Government of India supported the Tamil Nadu Maritime Board in upgrading facilities at the Nagapattinam port. Similarly, the Sri Lankan government created necessary infrastructure at the port of Kankesanthurai, an official release said.

India's efforts to start the ferry service are in line with the government’s priority to enhance connectivity with neighbours and in the wider Indian Ocean Region.

"A direct passenger ferry between Sri Lanka and India will provide an efficient and cost-effective means of travel for the people of the two countries, boost tourism and trade links and strengthen people-to people ties," the release said.

The milestone event was flagged off jointly by Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar.

Both the countries will continue to work towards commencement of ferry services between other ports, including the traditional route between Rameswaram- Talaimannar, it said.

State Ministers E V Velu and S Raghupathy, too, virtually flagged off the first ferry service.

Jaishankar described the milestone event as a "big step for people to people contacts between India and Sri Lanka." "It is an affirmation of people centric policies of the Modi government that have helped those in Tamil Nadu and in Sri Lanka’s northern province," he said.

The government, Jaishankar said, followed neighbourhood first policy, and had a far sighted approach for proximate nations with a focus on connectivity, cooperation and contact. "That’s exactly what we are seeking to do through this ferry service," he said.

On the future plans, he said that India was looking at grid connection, pipeline and economic corridor "and of course support for all in Sri Lanka to live in equal dignity and equal rights".

Sonowal said the Centre's current initiative with the support of Tamil Nadu government, will bring back the glory of the sea link between the two countries.

TN Minister Velu said the all-weather passenger shipping service would improve service between the two countries.

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