Once upon a time, a train that brought India, Lanka closer

History, as eminent historian Romila Thapar once said, is an 'understanding' of the past. Accordingly, the inauguration of the ferry route between Nagapattinam (India) and Kankesanthurai (Sri Lanka) demands to be understood as much more than a nostalgic throwback to the memory of the Boat Mail, an express train that once used to connect Madras and Colombo (originally via Tuticorin or Thoothukoodi and later via Dhanushkodi). Given the prized endorsements that the ferry route has received from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, there is more to its history and present-day ramifications than meets the eye….