CHAVAKKAD (KERALA):Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ‘fighting against the soul of the land’ Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday that no one has ever won fights that go against the ethos of the nation.
Addressing fisherfolk at ‘ ‘Matsyathozhilali Sangamam’, a meet organised by the Matsya Thozhilali Congress, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the central government is trying to steal the sea from fisherfolk just like it is trying to steal land from farmers and forests from tribals.
The meeting with the tagline ‘Sea for the sons of sea’ was organised at a venue close to the Blangad beach here as part of his two day visit to the state. “They say the fishermen are not efficient. But they are efficient to their family. They may not be efficient to some friends of Narendra Modi. We are not afraid of his suit-boot friends and the Congress will stand with the fishermen,” Rahul Gandhi said.
He also said that the fish caught by the fishermen tastes better than the fish caught by trawlers as it reaches the shore faster than the trawlers.
After visiting a fishermen colony near the beach and having food with them, Rahul continued his tirade against the Modi government which celebrated its first anniversary on Tuesday.
Matsya Thozhilali Congress President T N Prathapan MLA welcomed the gathering while Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president V M Sudheeran presided over the function.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala also spoke.
National Outfits for Farmers, Fishermen
One of the most significant outcomes of Rahul’s visit to the coastal city of Chavakkad was a promise that the grand old party would consider the formation of a national unit of Fishermen Congress and another national unit of Farmers Congress. “I will hold a discussion in this regard with the Congress chief without any delay,” he announced at the fag end of the ceremony. The announcement was met with spirited cheers from the audience comprising mainly fishermen, many of whom were of the opinion that the decision was a long overdue one.
“The fishermen in coastal states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra, will be hit by the Centre’s move to enforce a fishing ban. A national-level unit for Fishermen Congress would go a long way in ensuring that we receive an adequate representation in the key decisions that affect our community as a whole,” said a fisherman at Chavakkad.