NAGAPATTINAM
Defying police ban, thousands of fishermen took out a march towards the Collectorate here on Monday condemning the “delay” in rescuing the fishermen who went missing in Cyclone Ochki.
Close to 10,000 fishermen from more than 60 coastal hamlets, including Akkaraipettai and Keechankuppam in Nagapattinam district, and Kilinjalmedu in Karaikal district, kept off sea to take part in the ‘peace march’ that was taken out from Nagapattinam Fishing Harbour, condemning “the inability of the Central and State governments in saving the lives of the fishermen”.
The police who had earlier denied permission to the march apprehending law and order problem tried in vain to stop the participants in front of the railway station. The protesters were, however, stopped at CSI School, from where their representatives were taken by the police to Collector S. Suresh Kumar for submitting a petition.
A tense situation prevailed for a while as a large number of police personnel were deployed in the town.
