After SE Asia trip, expert pushes for ‘Project Mausam’

CHENNAI: India has a long maritime trade history right from the Harappan period. There was an extensive maritime trade network between the Harappan and Mesopotamian civilisations as early as 3rd BC. However, at a time when countries like China,

South Korea

and

Japan

are trying to conduct maritime expeditions to establish their control of the ancient Silk Road and maritime route, India’s ambitious ‘Project Mausam’, a transnational programme to explore the country’s ancient maritime routes, is in limbo.

Senior archaeologist

Dayalan

Duraiswamy, who recently participated in a voyage which started from South Korea passing through Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and ending in Vietnam, said it’s high time India conducted such explorations as the country was once the hub of the maritime trade between the East and the West.

Being the only Indian onboard the one-month-long expedition, Dayalan said it was Korea’s idea to trace the maritime Silk Route that everyone believed ended in China. “Many countries want to promote the maritime Silk Route, and China is the first among them. The Chinese are busy constructing a road from China via Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Turkey to promote the Silk Road. Now, they are planning to establish a port with the help of

Sri Lanka

. Even though they want to do it under the cover of maritime Silk Route, the idea is to establish their power on this route, which may bring in blocks to India’s maritime trade,” he said.

Although China initially said it would include India in its ongoing project to trace the maritime Silk Route, the decision was later changed. However, “Project Mausam”, India’s answer to the Chinese plan, has not progressed, according to Dayalan. “I don’t know what happened to our ‘Mausam’ project. It was launched with much fanfare, but it’s still in its initial stages. What we need is an organised network to support an expedition like what countries such as Korea did. India should take the initiative,” he said.

South Korea launched “Silkroadia 2017”, the maritime Silk Route expedition, from October 12 to November 6. The idea, according to Dayalan, was to establish that the country was also part of the maritime Silk Route.

“Koreans believe the maritime Silk Route never ends with China. To confirm it, they are launching expeditions with countries like Japan. Despite being the hub of ancient maritime trade, it’s surprising that India is not taking any initiative in this,” he said.

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