Hundreds of fisherfolk on Wednesday took out a massive protest in the capital and laid siege to the Secretariat with boats and fishing nets, seeking urgent intervention of the state government into various issues including coastal erosion in the district. The march, which saw protesters raising slogans against the government that it neglected their demands, brought the city to a standstill for several hours.
The Latin Archdiocese supported the protest march of fishermen from several coastal areas in the district against the coastal erosion that occurred owing to construction of Vizhinjam port. City traffic went haywire as the agitators brought fishing boats on trucks to various places, including Thiruvallam, Pettah, General Hospital Junction, and Enchakkal on NH 66 bypass junction. Members of the fishing community, including women, who came from different coastal hamlets in the area, were led by a group of priests. They stopped major city routes for hours while raising slogans against the government.
When the police attempted to prevent demonstrators from moving ahead at Shankumukham, Enchakkal, Pettah, and General Hospital, tension prevailed throughout the city for hours.When the motor vehicles department employees attempted to forbid the fishermen from transporting sizable boats that were attached to vehicles, the fishermen reacted angrily in a number of places.The police and fisherman reportedly got into a small altercation. Police said that the fishermen were not permitted to protest with boats, and they did not seek authorisation from the police in advance for the Secretariat march. Later on, though, the cops had to let them go.
Fishermen then marched with their boats from the Museum to the Secretariat. Then, the women and fishermen surrounded the Secretariat on MG Road. This led to traffic chaos in Palayam, East Fort, and Vellayambalam. Several motorists had to rely on byroads to reach their destinations. The police had blocked one side of MG Road from 11 am as a precaution. But for over four hours, the protesters besieged the area, blocking the entire route. All prominent priests of the Latin Archdiocese, including former Archbishop Soosapakiam, came to the protest venue to express solidarity with the agitators.
The coastal residents raised demands such as solving the coastal erosion allegedly due to the construction of the Vizhinjam port, ensuring rehabilitation of those who lost their jobs due to the port project, ensuring safety in places where there is constant danger, and reducing the price of kerosene for fishermen. As coastline erosion worsens during monsoon and more homes are lost, they sought a long-term solution to the issue. Additionally, they claimed that the government had not yet given them any assurances.
In Kerala, kerosene costs Rs 125 per litre, up from Rs 25 in Tamil Nadu. According to the protesters, this is having an impact on fishermen’s lives. The protesters urged that the development of the Vizhinjam port be halted until a thorough study is conducted. The government, according to a woman protestor, is doing nothing to address the serious coastline erosion that has been occurring for years. According to them, 500 homes had been lost in several coastal hamlets, and the government needed to act quickly to assist families that had lost their houses.
Another fisherman claimed that hundreds of families, including his own, have spent the previous four years living in government godowns because strong waves and coastal erosion had wrecked their houses.He added that the protest was a token one and it would be intensified if the government did not respond to the requests of the fishermen.