Ockhi aftermath: fishermen call for deep sea search

Protesters take out candlelight march; demand higher compensation to bereaved

Sombre march: Residents of coastal hamlets taking out a procession from Neerodi to Eraviputhenthurai, seeking higher compensation for bereaved fisherfolk.

Even as the police registered cases against 13,815 persons for blocking vehicular and rail traffic, the fisherfolk’s ongoing protest against alleged slackness in searching for missing fishermen and expediting restoration work in the Ockhi-affected areas intensified in western Kanniyakumari district on Monday, as a large number of women staged a day-long dharna at Eraviputhenthurai and Marthandamthurai. Another group of youth took out a candle light procession to highlight their demands.

Blindfolding their eyes with black ribbon, over a thousand fisherwomen from Erayumanthurai, Poothurai, Chinnathurai, Thoothur and Eravipuththanthurai staged a dharna at Eraviputhenthurai while a similar protest was held Marthandanthurai at Marthandanthurai.

The protesters wanted the State and the Central governments to shift the area of search to the deep sea beyond 150 nautical miles as their breadwinners would be fishing only in this region and not in the current area of search. All uninhabited islands in the deep sea should be searched as Cyclone Ockhi might have driven the missing fishermen towards these danger zones.

Later in the evening, over 500 youth from coastal hamlets took out a candle light procession from Neerodi to Erayumanthurai. “Since the Kerala government is giving ₹20 lakh each to the families of deceased fishermen, the Tamil Nadu government should offer more. A qualified person from each affected family should be given employment,” said X. Stefin from Poothurai.

Cases registered

Meanwhile, the police have registered cases against over 13,000 protesters, including 17 Roman Catholic priests, for staging road- and rail-rokos.

Fisherfolk blocked trains at the Kuzhithurai railway station last Thursday, even as Governor Banwarilal Purohit was visiting the district. The protest forced the Southern Railways to cancel or reschedule a few trains. “Cases have been registered against over 13,000 persons for participating in the protest. The cases have been registered after the Collector held peace talks with us. It will never deter us from intensifying our agitation, ” said Rev. Fr. Churchil, general secretary of the South Asian Fishermen Fraternity.