Back from the sea after an early morning catch, Antony and Ouseph rested on the shore, leaning against a big red wall that overlooked the sea. In front of them lay the broken Valiyathura pier, eroding coastline, and rows of boats cramped into the narrow stretch between the sea and the fish market.
“I am voting for UDF. There’s no point in the Marxist government getting re-elected. The common man will benefit if the UDF comes into power. It is not fair. It is not fair to rule like Pinarayi Vijayan," said Antony with conviction in his voice. An uneasy Ouseph, beside him, murmured, “I am voting for the CPI (M). The government is providing us, fishermen, a sum of Rs 2000 as pension now.”
The fishing community of Valiyathura, a major port in Kerala capital and located under Thiruvananthapuram Assembly constituency, is divided between voting for UDF and LDF in the upcoming Kerala state assembly polls. Kerala goes to the polls on April 9.
With a huge Latin Catholic Christian population, the Valiyathura community will play a decisive role in electing the MLA in the Thiruvananthapuram assembly constituency.
“Coastal erosion is a huge issue for us. It is because of the Vizhinjam port. We have not benefited from the port. It has become difficult for us to bring our boats near the coast,” said Antony.
He said that the breakwater at Vizhinjam has caused sea erosion along the northern side of the beach, shrinking the shoreline and making it difficult for fishermen to bring their catamarans ashore.
“It has only been three months since the ruling government started giving the promised pension. The Congress government has promised to provide Rs 3,000 as pension, vehicles for women, and Rs 1,000 for college students," said Antony.
Unmoved by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s project to rehabilitate fisherfolk displaced by recurring sea erosion, Antony said, “We went through a lot before getting a flat in Muttathara. The government has built homes for around 400 fisherfolk, but the people living there are not happy. Fisherfolk like to live near the sea.”
Hopeful that the new government will fulfill the basic needs of people, Antony affirmed the UDF candidate CP John will win from the constituency.
At the fish market, Kunjumol pointed towards the broken pier in the sea and said it had been over five years since it was damaged, with no action taken by the government to repair it. She added that although candidates promise to fix the pier during elections, no consensus has been reached. However, she affirmed that her vote is for the LDF. “I will vote for Pinarayi Vijayan, but he won’t come here to listen to our concerns. He should also feel the need to do something for us,” she added.
The pier once held significant value for the fisherfolk. Those who did not venture into deep sea would cast fishing lines from the top of the pier, and it also served as a point to board boats passing from Vizhinjam.
“We experience severe coastal erosion from April to August. The beach area has receded due to development projects like Vizhinjam,” said a local priest who did not wish to be named.
“Houses were swallowed by the sea. Earlier, we had a wide stretch of shore, but due to erosion, the shoreline has moved further inland. The sea has encroached onto the land.”
According to him, the flats were distributed unequally among the fisherfolk, and not everyone benefited. He added that living in flats is culturally different for the community, making it difficult for them to adjust. There are also complaints of leakage and water scarcity.
The Kerala Latin Catholic Church protested against the Adani-led Vizhinjam International Seaport project.
He said the Christian population in Valiyathura are largely traditional voters. Some who support the UDF will vote only for the UDF, while those who back the LDF remain firmly with them. However, he added that the BJP does not stand a chance in the area.
He cited the recent Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) amendments and attacks against the Christian community in various states as a fear factor among the community to vote against the BJP. “I believe Christian institutions are directly targeted with the new FCRA amendments because we receive a lot of foreign funds.”
Violet, a wholesale fish buyer, expressed her strong support for the LDF: “You should see the flats built for fisherfolk – no other government would do the same for the people.” She also praised the Rs 2,000 pension scheme for the community, adding, “Pinarayi Vijayan is a Chief Minister with a strong heart.”
“Although the UDF is promising a Rs 3,000 pension for fisherfolk, they won’t fulfill it once they come to power,” said Alex, who also expressed his support for the LDF.
However, Lawrence and his son Joy insisted that people in the coastal area would support the UDF. “We live in flats now, housing is fine, but every day we have to spend around Rs 80 on auto fares to get to work. It’s inconvenient. It’s manageable for those who own a bike, but I don’t have one,” Lawrence said.
Joy added, “Even if the Congress wins, there may not be much for us to gain apart from the promised pension. But we can’t give the LDF another term, so I support the UDF.”
The Thiruvananthapuram Assembly constituency has a total electorate of 1,58,545 voters. The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) has fielded actor and independent candidate Sudheer Karamana from this constituency. The United Democratic Front (UDF) has nominated CP John of the Communist Marxist Party Kerala. John is a prominent leader and he is also UDF spokesperson. Karaman Jayan is contesting as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, Antony Raju of the Janadhipathya Kerala Congress, an LDF ally, won the seat by defeating VS Sivakumar of the Indian National Congress by a margin of over 7,000 votes, securing a 38 percent vote share. However, he was later disqualified following his conviction in an evidence-tampering case. The UDF secured a 32 percent vote share, while the NDA had a vote share of 27 percent.
Thiruvananthapuram Assembly constituency had favoured the Congress-led UDF in 2011 when V S Sivakumar of the Indian National Congress won the seat. Sivakumar retained the seat in 2016. However, in 2021, Advocate Antony Raju wrested the seat from Sivakumar.