It is so easy, and symptomatic of all that is wrong with the Indian media-political circus, to forget the real growth indicators in Gujarat. What both sides of the Indian democracy coin neglect is the state?s amazing infrastructure story. One reason could be that it is easier to pretend that there are two homogeneous masses?Hindus and Muslims?doing nothing but playing games against each other, and set out mathematical models accordingly. But the bigger reason perhaps is that not too many of us are getting down to the real commerce story being played out on the hard ground of road and rail networks (or shipping lines and cargo air freight routes) for a closer look at the realities.
Sitting behind a windscreen in a car or on an airplane seat does not count. One such success story that cuts across all lines has to do with the way seaports and support systems, as well as coastal and inland linkages for handling huge ocean-going ships, are springing up?again?all over the coast of Gujarat. Notice the emphasis on ?again?.
These were ports that have existed from Biblical and Mughal times, Hazira/Surat being just one example that finds historical references in sealogs around the world. Okha/Porbandar/Dwarka is another. And then they withered away. Because shipping grew, while these ports didn?t.
The port that grew at their cost was Front Bay. Legit and otherwise, everything started flowed through BomBahia. And with draughts of upto 10 metres, as well as brilliant road and rail linkages for the day, Bombay emerged as the trade fulcrum of India. But then the whole BPT, Pir Pau, Butcher Island, JNPT and environs, including Sahar/CST, stagnated, and those who rule Mumbai forgot that to remain a financial centre, they would need to let the physical part of the port operations move out, as is the trend worldwide. London moved to Thamesport, New York moved to Norfolk, San Francisco moved to Oakland and Tokyo moved to Yokohama when they realised that bringing deep-draught ocean going ships drawing 15-20 metres draught with multi-million tonne cargo linkages through the centre of their cities was not their cup of oil-spill. Maharashtra?s problems, as evident in the current war between the Central and state governments over Mumbai?s ports, has been Gujarat?s gain. It doesn?t help either that the coast south of Mumbai gets a heavy monsoon lashing.
Gujarat is aware of its advantages. This is evident in the ?gulf revival??of Kutch and Khambat. But. Till as recently as the early 1980s, even the emergence of Kandla was resisted by coastline equivalents of the Bombay Club. As a result, the age-old maritime tradition of Gujarat had been reduced to minor fishing and major smuggling. Rail links were absent or metre gauge, and the west coast of India meant Bombay for all shipping purposes. Liberalisation changed all that. Today?s Kandla numbers speak for themselves. This port beats all Mumbai ports put together. Hollow.
Now take an even closer look at every new port on the Gujarat coast. If you can?t go there, then use satellite photos. Small fishing hamlets of a few decades ago have become seaports again, whether with berths alongside or safe anchorages. Listing them all is difficult, because there are over three dozen ports in Gujarat now that can accept deep-draught foreign going ships, and scores more which handle coastal shipping as well as medium sized ships catering to points as far as Singapore on one side and the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Horn, East and South Africa on the other. They have also breached the Suez, and small ships of assorted flags are reaching into the Levant and the rest of the Med.
And that?s just the legit cargo. For narcotics, arms and flesh, Karachi and Mumbai have long lost their status as trade points. Ask around in the Khandwa region, for example, and learn about the routes in use now.
Gujarat?s re-emergence should be no surprise. Till about 150 years ago, when the British firmed up their subcontinental influence, Gujarat?s ports were bustling with small-draught sail ships. After the industrial revolution, mechanised ships?with draughts of around 5-10 metres?switched to Bombay. Gujarat ports have now jumped technologies, making way for draughts of 12-20 metres.
The difference is vast. Till not too long ago, the India?s west coast would shut down for almost half the year during the monsoons. Even now, new ports along the Maharashtra coast are vulnerable to the rains. Add the perils of ?global wierding?, and it is clear why Gujarat is stealing ahead.
And so, where does the Gujarat election fit in here? Whatever the communal configuration, the seaports, airports, railways and roads in Gujarat are fact. And, as always, commerce prevails over religion. The seaports in Gujarat are truly symbolic of this. Yes, the traditional ?control? that seafaring Muslims had in the state seems to be giving way. But then, with the commercial stakes so huge, that was not entirely unexpected.
The author is a travel professional with wide experience of the shipping industry. These are his personal views
