MAYILADUTHURAI: “I still cannot understand what my fault is that my family and I are left struggling to make ends meet,” said K Veeravel, laying crippled at his house in Vanagiri of Sirkazhi taluk in the district. In October 2022, the 31-year-old fell victim to a volley of bullets fired at him and nine others by the Indian Navy while the group was fishing near Palk Bay.
The attack left him injured on the left thigh and the left portion of the abdomen. With his body “refusing to cooperate”, Veeravel’s family now struggles to make ends meet with the monthly salary of Rs 3,000 his wife draws as the breadwinner.
Veeravel was inflicted with the life-changing injuries when he along with nine others put out to sea from Karaikal harbour in a trawler on October 15, 2022. Around 3 am on October 21, the Indian Navy patrolling in INS Bangaram 165 apprehended the group near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
Fearing it was the Sri Lankan navy, the panicked fishermen attempted to flee. It was then that the Indian Navy fired several rounds of “warning shots” at them, according to sources. Grievously injured in the attack, Veeravel was airlifted by the Navy for treatment. Veeravel was operated upon at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai.
He returned home after three weeks. Over a year later, the Class 8 dropout, whose monthly earnings stood at around Rs 20,000 before being inflicted with the injuries, struggles to digest food.
"Working in the rough seas is mostly gruelling. A few months ago I tried to steer my (motorized) boat. My body did not cooperate. The muscles in the injured areas felt heavy. I returned home, realising I can never be 100%," Veeravel added.
Veeravel’s wife Madhumathi (28), with whom he has a son and a daughter aged 4 and 2 respectively, told TNIE, "I registered for employment in December 2022. I secured a temporary job in a fair-price shop, for a salary of Rs 3,000 per month.” While the state government released financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to Veeravel soon after the firing incident, his family said it hardly was enough for his medical expenses.
“We are now struggling to manage our groceries and bills," Madhumathi, a BA graduate, added.
V Chandiran, a fisher representative from Vanagiri, said, "We request the Union government to consider it a responsibility to help Veeravel as he was injured in the naval firing. We also urge them to provide his wife a better job."
