VISAKHAPATNAM: Even as tribal protesters set on fire the protest camp of fishermen seeking ST status at Srikakulam protesting the government’s recommendations the Centre to include Valmikis and Boyas in the ST list, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan his extended his support to the fisherfolks. Dubbing the fishermen communities’ demand for ST status is a genuine one, the ‘Power Star’ in Hyderabad said that the TDP government had mentioned it in their poll manifesto and they must fulfil it. Pawan Kalyan met Pondicherry minister Malladi Krishna Rao and the fishermen community leaders at his party office in Hyderabad on Monday and suggested that the TDP government should form a committee to deliberate on this issue so that the demand could be undertaken with the Centre for further action.
However, Pawan also suggested that TDP government must take the existing ST communities into confidence during this entire exercise and explain them that their interests would not be hampered by the inclusion of more communities in the ST list. “I will visit Srikakulam on February 21 and meet with the fishermen communities. All the fishermen community heads will discuss the issue in detail,” Pawan said.
He also promised the fishermen community leaders that if he got an opportunity to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he would certainly convey him the agony of fishermen communities. The fishermen communities from Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam have been staging sporadic demonstrations seeking the ST status for more than one and a half months. As part of the move, the fishermen from Vizag observed a bandh on Monday, abstaining themselves from venturing into the sea.