திபெத்திய விடுதலைப் போர்

திபெத்திய விடுதலைப் போர்
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Published on Jun 13, 2014

திபெத்திய விடுதலைப் போரில் ஏராளமானோர் தீக்குளித்தனர், இந்திய ஆதரவுடன் புலம் பெயர்ந்த திபெத்திய அரசு இந்தியாவின் தர்மசாலவில் இயங்கும் போது அமெரிக்க மண்ணில் நாடு கடந்த தமிழ் ஈழ அரசுக்கு அமெரிக்க இடமளித்துள்ளது எப்படி தவறாகும் ? திபெத்தின் பால் உள்ள பரிவு ஈழத்தின் பால் ஏன் இல்‌லை என்று வினா எழுப்பும் நந்திவர்மனின் பேருரை                                                                                                                                                                                          

EARTH QUAKES, TSUNAMIS AND CONTINENTAL DRIFT

EARTH QUAKES, TSUNAMIS AND CONTINENTAL DRIFT

N.Nandhivarman

Tsunami hit Pondicherry recently and people were taken aback at its ferocity. The least expected unfolding of the Nature’s fury has stirred a debate on the changes in our coastline. Why did it happen and how it happened are subjects of current debate. Earth’s surface rests divided into 12 plates. Now the 13 th plate is in the offing. Throughout history scientists believe continents to be drifting, moving closer, or breaking from one another. Pangaea, the most recent super-continent on Earth began to break 160 million years ago. Paul Hoffman, Professor of Geology at Harvard University opines that while Pangaea broke up the Atlantic Ocean opened splitting North America from Eurasia. Then North America parted from Eurasia subsequently South America from Africa, Australia, Antarctica and India separated from Africa creating the Indian Ocean. The same scholar says, “ Atlantic and Indian Oceans continue to widen while Pacific gets smaller. In 100 million years North America and Asia will probably drift into each other”. Paul Hoffman had already named the new super-continent as Amasia.

Jeffrey Welssel at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory says, “ The result of this crucial stage in the collision between India and Asia is the breakup of the Indo Australian Plate into separate Indian and Australian plates”. He also said “ In The Central Indian Ocean Nature is conducting a large scale experiment for us, showing us what happens to oceanic lithosphere (earth’s outer layer) when a force is applied.” This experiment had its repercussions, when on fault lines earthquakes hit almost exactly where Indo Australian plates have broken.

Group of researchers from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center have provided with schematic global tectonic activity map, which shows several types of faults, active spreading centers, and volcanoes. The fault-lines or geo fractures are areas where we must watch and take all precautions in constructions to save lives.

This may be a global watch, but Pondicherrian’s have specific areas to observe. A Report on Ground Water Survey and Exploration in the Union Territory of Pondicherry and its environs by a team of experts from Central Ground Water Board, Southern region in March 1973 says that “ The photo-geological study has also confirmed the existence of the fault to the west of the coastline a straight scarp running almost parallel to Pondicherry- Markanam Road” That finding was made three decades ago.

Dr.S.M.Ramasamy Director of Center for Remote Sensing of Bharathidasan University as early as 1993 said, “ The East North East- West South West trending faults on the contrary are showing left handed (sinistrel) ongoing translational movements. Such sinisterly and dextrally moving faults display definite morph tectonic anomalies in the remotely sensed data and also in the field. In addition, there is a conspicuous land subsidence between Pondicherry in the North East and Cumbum valley in the South West.

One such graben has been established along north east- southwest trending faults in between Pondicherry-Cuddalore in the northeast and Cumbum valley in the Southwest. It is significant to observe that the earthquake epicenters fall along such NE-SW trending fault in Cuddalore, Ariyalor, Dindigul and Kodaikanal.

In view of a geo-fracture i.e. fault line from Kalapet in Pondicherry to Cumbum Valley in South Tamil Nadu, great caution must be taken in construction of high rise structures wherever fault lines have been identified. Earthquake resistant construction design in places where one fault line passes, as mentioned above, is need of the hour. There are pictures taken by satellites using remote sensing techniques had identified studies covering Tamil Nadu its and various fault lines. It is high time sky scrappers do not come up in the fault line and quake prone areas.

While Earthquake precautions are need of the hour, the new threat to Tamil Nadu’s coast comes by way of Tsunamis. Tsunami is a known phenomenon in Pacific Ocean stretching from Chile in Latin America to Japan in Far East Asia. Seismic disturbances, coastal earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or under sea landslides that jolt the ocean floor cause tsunamis, which travels at speeds up to 500 miles per hour and reaches heights between 50 and 100 feet. Tsunami observatories and Earth Quake observatories must be set up for early warning systems. People living in low-lying coastal areas have faced the brunt. “ It is high time fishermen settlements are shifted to higher grounds. World Bank and global assistance that is forthcoming must be utilized to create fishermen colonies in high ground ’’opines Narambai Kanagasabai, President of Narambai Fishermen Panchayat of Pondicherry state.

The green house effect causes rise in sea water levels. Scientists have predicted that by 2100 A.D the rise in sea level will be between 0.5 to 1.5 meters. Before 1.5 million years Sea was closer to Madurai and before 90,000 years Chennai, Pondicherry and Vedaranyam were surrounded by sea. Due to fall in sea levels 65,000 years ago India and Ceylon joined and when sea level rose around 27,000 years ago they parted. Then 17,000 years ago due to fall in water level both joined and when water rose they parted. This is the study-report of Bharathidasan University’s Earth Sciences Department. All these studies and past history makes it clear that our coastline had undergone changes over centuries. Poompuhar of Chola Empire is beneath the seas. Sirkazhi once a coastal town is now an interior town. So changes in our coast is continuous. Caution must be taken about all dwellings in our coast, and let this tsunami attack be an eye opener.

Cortesy : NEW INDIAN EXPRESS dated January 1 of 2005

MOUNT MOHSIN OR MOUNT EVEREST?

The highest peak, Mount Everest was first measured in 1856. It was scaled as 8839 m i.e. 29,000 feet high. But it was fixed at 29,002 feet [8840m] high. The arbitrary addition of 2 feet was added to avoid the impression of a rounded calculation. Another Indian survey in the year 1950 concluded the height to be 29.028 feet. In the year 1998, the American Everest Expedition installed a GPS unit on the highest bedrock and a value of 29.035 feet [8850 m] was fixed based on this device. Nepal did not agree to this and holds the view that the height is 8848 m only. The Peoples Republic of China sent an expedition team in May 22^nd 2005. After months of hard work, China’s State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping announced the height of Everest as 8844.43 m. This newest height is based on the actual rock and not on the snow and ice caps. China claims this to be the most accurate measurement.

There is not only lack of consensus in measurement and height, each country has its own name for Mount Everest. Nepal calls it Sagarmatha, thereby revealing the pre-historic fact that Himalayas was once ocean .Sagar means sea, matha means mother. Tibet calls it Chomolangma, the meaning of the word must be found in Tibetan language.

Mount Everest was first discovered in 1852 and till 1865 it was only referred as Peak XV. The British Surveyor General of India Sir Andrew Waugh gave its current name Mount Everest. China continues to oppose this name. China’s People’s Daily in 2002 wanted a colonial name to be removed and the peak known by its Tibetan name. Meanwhile who first measured it stirs another controversy. A claim is made that Radhanath Sikdar, an Indian mathematician and surveyor from Bengal was first to identify the peak in 1852 using trigonometric calculations based on measurements made with telescopic measurements from 24o kilometers away in India.

To ascertain this let us look for other evidences.  The book Great Arc by John Key describes the stupendous scientific expedition undertaken across the Indian sub continent in 19^th century under the British Raj. The Frontline magazine from The Hindu group interviewed John Key, when he came to Chennai to participate in the 200^th anniversary celebrations of the beginning of Great Arc, and to deliver William Lampton Commemoration lecture on Great Trigonometrical Survey. In that interview published in Frontline September 26, 2003 he states:

“The Great Arc has always been presented as a British achievement. Lambton and Everest associated with it were British. One has to remember, as someone said this evening, most of the mathematical work, which is really the most important aspect was done by…… [Interruption by Frontline correspondent: “By Bengalis?]

“Not just Bengalis. Precision engineering, necessary for the instrument used in the Great Arc, is very critical. A lot of these instruments were made in India. The Great Arc’s senior most instrument designer and engineer was in fact from Arcot in Tamilnadu.He was called Syed Hussain Mohsin. He was most brilliant instrument manufacturer. People like Lambton and Everest were heavily indebted to him, and indeed said so.”

During this interview John Key answers a pertinent question: Is it true that George Everest had never seen the peak that is named after him. ?

John Key “He never saw the peak. It was after him because it was his completion of the measurement of the Great Arc that made it possible to measure the altitudes of Himalayan peaks. It was in the course of the measurement of all the peaks visible at that time that the mountain was discovered. So it was named in his honour.”

Saint Thomas Mount was the starting point of the Great Trigonometrical survey. The Great Arc was just a north-south measurement. The GTS measurement went on until about 1880 within India itself. After 1880 it extended east and west to Burma, Afghanistan and so on. It extended into Burma, Thailand and Laos in the last 20 years on 19^th century.

So it becomes evident that Syed Hussain Mohsin, the senior most instrument designer and engineer, with all the experience he gathered from the beginning of survey till it reached Himalayas, has a unique place, since his services are acknowledged by both William Lambton and George Everest. In western countries, any discovery is named after the discoverer. All scientific names in various fields are derived from their inventor’s name. Hence it would be most appropriate to change the name of Mount Everest, a peak on which George Everest never set his foot, to Mount Mohsin, duly acknowledging the brain behind the expedition and discovery. The claims of others have no such impartial endorsement as that of Syed Hussain Mohsin. This demand, I had made in one of my articles in the book written by me in 2006.

Thamizhar Naadum Thani Pannpadum : Available at : Mitra Arts and Creations Private Limited 32/8-10 Arcot Road, Kodampakkam Chennai 600024 Pages 144 Price Rs 50.

N.Nandhivarman