Fisherfolk up in arms against Kumari container terminal

The fishermen had earlier planned to protest against the ICTT near the district Collectorate. But as permission was not granted, they shifted their protest to Mukilankudiruppu, though no approval was given for the protest there as well. 

Despite the absence of permission, thousands of fishermen along with their kin from all the 40 coastal hamlets and around 60 other villages, participated in the protest. 

The protesters started assembling at Mukilankudiruppu around 9.30 am. While villagers and women from the fishing community came together on the shore, fishermen gathered in the sea in hundreds of country and fibre boats. They raised slogans against the Centre and especially Kanniyakumari MP Pon Radhakrishnan. 

The protesters said Radhakrishnan, also the Minister for Shipping and Ports, was trying to establish ICTT at an estimated cost of Rs 19,884 crore, against the interests of the people. They claimed the port would affect the livelihood of nearly 1.2 lakh fishermen and their families from Arockiapuram to Neerody. 

They also said it would affect agriculture and drinking water sources of people apart from destroying the unique coastal environment. 

Retired government official, MG Devasahayam, who is strongly opposed to the ICTT project, said the protest was organised amid strong pressure from the Centre and it has proved that the people would not allow either their district or their livelihood to be affected. We won’t allow a single stone to be laid for the proposed port, he reiterated. 

The residents had earlier hoisted black flags in their houses. One of the main coordinators of the protests, R S Parthasarathy, and Bishop of Kottar Diocese, Nazarene Soosai, were among those who took part in the protest. 

Around 1,800 policemen led by Kapil Kumar Saratkar, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Tirunelveli Range, provided security during the agitation.  The protests concluded around 12.15 pm, without any untoward incident.