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Lift ban or face stir, government told
By Express News Service
08 Feb 2011 03:05:20 AM IST
Lift ban or face stir, government told
CHENNAI: Putting the state government and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on the mat for failing to understand their livelihood issues, fishermen unions on Monday served an ultimatum to the department setting a deadline of February 28 to remove the ban on catching sea cucumber, failing which they would be forced to go on a massive strike from March 3.
Addressing the members during an agitation near the Collectorate here, A Palsamy, president of Ramanathapuram District Fishworkers Trade Union (RFTU), not only condemned the ban imposed in 2002, but also demanded that authorities concerned immediately lift it. The agitation, jointly organised by RFTU, Ramnad District Sea Shell (Sangu) and Sea Weed (Kadal Passi) Workers’ Federation and Coastal Action Network (CAN) was to prevail upon the authorities to lift the ban on catching sea cucumber immediately.
The unions have decided to sit on a fast-unto-death in Ramanathapuram and planned to invite all fishermen associations from other districts to join if the government and MoEF failed to lift the ban even after the March 3 indefinite strike.
K J Jaffar, convenor of Ramnad District Sea Shell (Sangu) and Sea Weed (Kadal Passi) Workers’ Federation, highlighted that for the past eight years, the Centre and state governments have betrayed an ‘indifferent attitude’ towards traditional fishing communities, who are solely dependent on sea cucumber and other marine resources for their livelihood, despite the unions having submitted numerous memoranda and petitions and held protests.
The members also demanded that the government protect the livelihood of 1.5 lakh traditional fish workers (using traditional fishing craft) in Ramanathapuram, Tuticorin, Pudukottai, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam by lifting the ban. About 200 representatives from different organisations from eight coastal districts participated in the protest.
© Copyright 2008 ExpressBuzz
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Black flags hoisted in coastal hamlets to protest kiling
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Black flags hoisted in coastal hamlets to protest kiling
MADURAI: For several coastal villages in Tamil Nadu, Republic Day was a black flag affair. Fishermen hoisted black flags outside their homes in some coastal fishing hamlets in Tuticorin district to protest the killing of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy. Fishermen of twenty-three coastal villages, including Manapadu, Tharuvaikulam, Keelavapur, Sippikulam, Vembar and Lourde Ammalpuram villages hoisted black flags outside their homes to pay homage to the two fishermen who were killed recently and also as a form of protest. The grama sabhas held in these villages also passed resolutions. One resolution said both the central and state governments should act to prevent the killing of fishermen and provide them adequate protection to pursue their livelihood. The Sri Lankan government should be warned against such attacks and no such incident should take place in future. The coastal peoples' federation also passed similar resolutions at a meeting in Tuticorin on Monday.
Read more: Black flags hoisted in coastal hamlets to protest kiling - The Times of Indiahttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Black-flags-hoisted-in-coastal-hamlets-to-protest-kiling/articleshow/7368422.cms#ixzz1CGPRAHvm
Anger spreads across TN over fisherman killing
Printed from
Anger spreads across TN over fisherman killing
CHENNAI/NAGAPATTINAM: Anger spread throughout coastal Tamil Nadu with fishermen and activists protesting the brutal killing of N Jayakumar by the Sri Lankan navy on Saturday night. In most of the coastal districts fishermen stayed away from sea.
In Chennai, police rounded up a group of about 150 members of the Hindu Makkal Katchi as they tried to picket the residence of Union minister P Chidambaram, demanding security for fishermen. The outfit's organising secretary T Kannan said fishermen should be given weapons for self defence. Political outfits too jumped into the fray to protest the killings of two fishermen within a fortnight.
Thol Tirumavalavan's Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi, a DMK ally, has threatened an agitation in front of the office of the Sri Lankan deputy high commission in Chennai. Tamil film director Seeman, who heads Naam Tamilar Katchi, warned that his party would not allow the Sri Lankan cricket players to play in a match scheduled for Tuesday in the city.
Striking fishermen demanded that the Indian government give an assurance for their safety rather than solatium. "We need the government ofIndia to protect our lives," said R M P Rajendran Nattar, a leader of the fishermen community in Nagapattinam. Several policemen were posted in Pushpavanam village from where the victim hailed, to prevent further escalation of tension in the region.
In Coimbatore, a section of lawyers along with activists set fire to posters carrying pictures of AICC president Sonia Gandhi and chief minister M Karunanidhi outside the main gate of the district court. The protesters demanded immediate closure of the Sri Lankan deputy high commission in Chennai. They also flayed the state and central governments for their "apathy' against such incidents.
In Madurai, the coastal people's federation said all the coastal fishing villages in Tuticorin and Tiruchendur in south Tamil Nadu will observe Republic Day as a black day.
Monday, January 10, 2011
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