Some fishermen in Akkaraipettai and a few other hamlets in Nagapattinam district faced the wrath of officials earlier this week, purportedly for having stepped into the sea in defiance of the prohibitory order in place for containment of novel corona virus.
The errant fishers who had confessed to have done so believing in propaganda that having a bath in the sea will keep the virus at bay were also reprimanded by elders in the hamlets for causing disrepute to the entire community.
At the very outset, the fishers in 64 hamlets had promised their fullest cooperation to the government's attempt to prevent the spread of the virus by arriving at a consensus that none should venture into the sea and there should be no trade activity in the fishing harbours.
“It was out of sheer ignorance driven by fear of contracting the virus that some of the fishermen and their families went about having a dip in the sea during the afternoon hours,” Rajendran Nattar, president of Indhiya Desiya Meenavargal Sangam, said.
“Even before the prohibitory order came into effect we had stopped venturing into the sea. For the first time, we decided to forgo catching fish even for our daily requirement. But, we do understand that the officials had a reason to be annoyed with some of us for entering into a sea as it was projected by a section of the media as a callous act,” Mr. Rajendran said.
After senior officials gave the elders in the hamlets a dressing down, police presence was increased in the hamlets.
While extending their cooperation to the government, the elders emphasised that the community should also be provided with financial support on the lines of relief of ₹6,000 being given for every farmer’s family.
Since a majority of the fishermen in the hamlet lead a hand-to-mouth existence, absence of such relief at the critical juncture could push the families into penury, Mr. Rajendran said.
