Over fifty fishermen thronged the Collectorate on Monday and kneeled down to show their protest against the proposed Enayam International Container Transhipment Terminal (EICTT). They also submitted a petition to the Collector.
The fishermen were led by Fr. Chuchil, General Secretary, South Asian Fishermen Fraternity (SAFF). The petition, which was submitted to District Collector Sajjansingh R. Chavan at the weekly grievances day programme urged the government to withdraw EICTT stating that it would affect the livelihood of the fishermen and their habitation.
With World Fisheries Day also falling on November 21, Fr. Churchil said that the day helped in highlighting the critical importance of water and the lives it sustains both in and out of it.
If the project was implemented, thousands of fishermen families living in the coastal villages would be rendered homeless and they will be forced to migrate from their place of livelihood, the SAFF said.
In their petition, the fishermen also pressed for 10-point charter of demands, including announcing Killiyoor and Colachel as special constituencies for fishermen, extending communication equipment at a subsidized rate to contact officials in times of disaster and to categorise fishermen as tribals etc.
President of the People’s Movement Against Enayam International Container Transhipment Terminal (PMAEICTT) and District president of the Tamilnadu Meenavar Peravai Jordhan, former DMK MLA Bernard, District Secretary of the Kanniyakumari District Meenavar Peravai and Treasurer of SAFF David Kumar also participated.
Later, Fr. Churchil said that the Collector received the petition and assured that he would forward it to the government.
