THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Terming the protest against the Vizhinjam port project ‘pre-planned’, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said outsiders were involved in the stir. “People other than fishers from the area are involved in the protest. It should be seen as a pre-planned agitation,” Pinarayi said in the assembly. The CM’s remarks, made ahead of his proposed meeting with the protesters, drew criticism inside and outside the house.
While Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan termed the CM’s comments unfortunate, the Latin Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram, which is spearheading the protest, said the government was looking to protect the contractor. On protesters’ demand to stop the port’s construction, the CM said not implementing the project at this stage was unacceptable.
Archdiocese to CM: See plight of coastal people
“The approach that the project should not be implemented, keeping the economy paralysed, is not just anti-development, but also anti-people,” he said. However, Pinarayi maintained that the government was open for talks with the protesters.
Ports Minister Ahammed Devarkovil and Fisheries Minister V Abdurahiman too spoke in favour of the project in the assembly which witnessed heated debate over the protest. Opposition MLAs M Vincent, K K Rema, P Ubaidulla, Mons Joseph, Anoop Jacob and Mani C Kappan moved the adjournment motion to discuss the issue. Satheesan said it was unfortunate that the CM had termed the protest pre-planned. “The archdiocese’s strike is not aimed at bringing down the government, but to find solutions to coastal people’s woes. It is objectionable to allege conspiracy in it,” he said.
“It is due to the stir that the CM had to agree to shifting the poor, who are living in a cement godown at Valiyathura for the past four years, to rented houses. It is due to the church’s protest that the government thought of handing over the land at Muttathara,” he said. However, the CM interrupted him saying the project received crucial approvals during the tenure of the UPA and the UDF in Kerala. To this, Satheesan said the Oommen Chandy government had acknowledged the project’s impact on the coast and made allocations to the tune of `471 crore for rehabilitation.
“It was estimated that 3,000 of the 7,876 houses in Panathura-Veliyaveli area will be impacted by the project. We lost 600m of coast by the time one-third of the breakwater was built. In the past five years, five rows of houses in Valiyathura were devoured by the sea. Yet the LDF government echoes Adani’s stand that the project had no negative impact on the coast,” Satheesan said.
The Latin Archdiocese said the CM should “open his eyes to see the plight of people living in the coast.” “The minister had earlier admitted to the impact of sea erosion due to the project upto Valiyaveli. Now, they are interested in protecting the contractor. The protest was started after holding talks with four cabinet sub-committees as well as the CM,” said Eugine H Pereira, Vicar-General of the Latin Archdiocese.
Theodacious D’Cruz, a priest of the Church, alleged that the ministers and district collectors were lying about the rehabilitation. “We are fishermen and will ensure the victory of our protest, even if it means packing Pinarayi Vijayan back to Kannur,” he said. He said Muslims from Beema Palli and Hindu community have backed the stir.
VIZHINJAM PROTEST IS NOT IN A VIOLENT STAGE: HC
Kochi: The High Court has observed the protest against Vizhinjam port by the action council of fishers led by the Latin Archdiocese is not violent though it has been going on for sometime. The court made the observation while staying the order of the capital district collector on August 20 to close liquor shops within the Vizhinjam police station limit.