MAYILADUTHURAI: Fisherfolk in Mayiladuthurai district has called for a State-wide protest on November 11, to condemn the Indian Navy’s alleged assault on coastal delta fishermen.
At a meeting convened by the district’s chief fisherfolk panchayat of Tharangambadi on Saturday evening, representatives of fisherfolk panchayats in the coastal districts of Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, and Karaikal condemned in unison the ‘assault’.
A 35-year-old fisherman, K Veeravel of Vanagiri in the district, sustained injuries after personnel on a naval patrol vessel fired ‘warning shots’ at a boat near Palk Strait on October 21. Nine other fishermen sustained injuries during an alleged assault that followed the firing. Rajenthiran, a representative of Tharangambadi fisherfolk panchayat said,
“We condemn the atrocities of the Indian Navy on our fishermen as they nearly killed one and assaulted his companions in the name of investigation. The Centre continues to remain silent. We invite every coastal district to join us in our strike on November 11.”
G Devan, another representative, said, “We demand the Union and the State governments to provide compensation to all 10 fishermen, and for damaging their vessel. We demand a government job for K Veeravel as he has been maimed. We demand assurance from the governments of such incidents not witnessing a repeat.”
From Mayiladuthurai, representatives of fisherfolk panchayats such as Vellakovil, Chinnamedu, Vanagiri, Chinnakottaimedu and Pazhaiyar participated. Representatives from the ‘supreme’ fisherfolk panchayat of coastal delta districts, Akkaraipettai in Nagapattinam, and those from Karaikalmedu and Kilinjalmedu in Karaikal also participated.