As the attempt by some people to thwart the construction of the Vizhinjam port continues, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's firm stand that the project will not be stopped is quite auspicious. A similar agitation was also held against the Koodankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu. When the power plant became a reality, many of these agitators were among those who became its beneficiaries! They are now getting free electricity.

Although the Chief Minister declared that the government is ready to find a solution to the problems of those losing their land or livelihood due to the Vizhinjam project, there is something suspicious behind the motive of those who are insisting that the port will not be allowed. If there was any truth in agitators' claim that construction works carried out in the sea would lead to coastal erosion, not only some ports and airports in the world but even the European country of the Netherlands would have gone under the sea.

If we understand that Vizhinjam is not just a port, it becomes clear how it will help the development of the state and where the roots of the protest against it are. The container terminal under construction in Vizhinjam is for gigantic motherships that cannot even enter the major ports of the country. It is close to the international shipping lane. Moreover, maintenance costs will be comparatively low as the sea bed in Vizhinjam is too deep and rocky that there will be no need for constant dredging. The rent will also decrease proportionately. The bottom line is that Vizhinjam will become the port of choice for motherships.

With the Vizhinjam port becoming a reality, business in the ports of Dubai, Colombo and Singapore where the motherships can approach will naturally decline. The container transfer business associated with motherships is not a small deal. PSA International, a terminal operator at the Port of Singapore, made a revenue of Rs 26,405 crore (S$460 crore) and a net profit of Rs 7,462 crore (S$130 crore) last year. By considering the losses that will be incurred in all three ports, we can understand where the roots of the opposition to the Vizhinjam port lie. Losses in all three ports are going to turn into our profits.

The agitation demanding the closure of the Koodankulam nuclear power plant project ended with a revelation made by the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in 2012. He revealed that money sent by some 'non-governmental organizations' in America and Scandinavian countries was behind the agitation. With this, the agitation came to an end as those behind it feared that their real intentions would be exposed.

There is no evidence to suggest that foreign money is behind the agitation against the Vizhinjam port. However, one might be surprised to find out the background of those environmentalists, who spent several lakhs filing a case against the project in the Supreme Court and ended up losing the case.

The opposition leaders who came out as advocates for the Vizhinjam agitation should remember Manmohan Singh's stance on the Koodankulam project. It is known that the double standard is one of the synonyms of practical politics. However, there should be some sense of propriety in the double standard. What is important in development is the people and not the ruling party or the opposition.