101 hrs Fish workers’ Agitation

Thiruvananthapuram : The 101 hrs Fish workers agitation started at the Secretariat gate of the Govt of Kerala on Tuesday, 9th Jan.07. The fish workers demand:

• To the immediate closure of the polluting clay factory at Pallithura (near ISRO, Thumba);

• To honor the commitment of the Govt to reinstate the women membership in the Fishermen Welfare Fund;

• To replace the present dilapidated buses with new ones for the women-vendors special bus service by Matsyafed;

• To strictly ban the dynamite-fishing in the Vizhinjam waters;

• To protect and preserve the right of the road-side women-fish vendors and the women-vegetable vendors.

The agitation was inaugurated by the NFF leader Thomas Kochery. He strongly protested the move of the Govt, despite being a left-front led Govt in protecting the environmental-polluting Clay Factory at the fishermen-densely populated coastal village. He also warned the Govt and appealed to the fish workers of and for the series of agitation against anti-coastal clay factory.

The state President of the KSMTF, T.Peter while addressing the dharna recollected the sacrifice shown by the coastal and fish-worker families during the 60’s for the establishment of ISRO in the same village, where the present Govt punishes this historic sacrifice with this poisonous factory. Peter also reminded the sacrifice of the fish-worker families in terms of leaving homes, church, work place, etc, which were continuously lauded by the Honorable President of India. He pointed out sarcastically the historic contradiction at present that the fish worker families who sacrificed heavily for ISRO are now suffering in the same village.

New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI) State Secretary K.P.Viswa Valsan, Fr.Labarin, Arch Diocese of Thiruvananthapuram, Anto Elias (District Secretary, KSMTF), Abdul Munaf , J.P.John, T.Franklin Gomez, Jensila Antony, Mary Valsala, Elizabeth Antony, Aneeta Shaji, Freesca Kurisappan, also addressed the Dharna. Hundreds of women are actively participating in the 101 hr sathyagraha.

Expert Committee on the Clay factory pollution issue

The Fisheries Minister, Mr.Sharma declared the decision to appoint anexpert committee to look into the pollution issue of Pallithura ClayFactory. The Govt was forced to convene the conference on the issue ofpollution as the 101 hours fish workers agitation in front of theSecretariat gate spearheaded by KSMTF (Kerala Swathanthra MatsyathozhilaliFederation) turned into the escalation phase. As part of this agitation, agroup of fishermen and women tried to enter into the Secretariate
forcefully by overpowering police barrier. Groups of villagers from thecoast in hundreds were pouring into the Secreatariate regularly with theslogans against the polluting factory and the indifferent officialattitude. They also visited theSathyagraha site and expressed solidarityto those in 101 hrs Sathyagraha.

The conference was convened jointly by the Industry Minister Shri ElamaramKarim and the Fisheries Minister Shri. S.Sharma. The KSMTF leadersMr.T.Peter, Anto Elias, Valarian Issac, John J.P.,Freesca Kurisappan,Jensila Antony, and the village leaders such as Fr.Labarin Yesudas,F.M.Lazar, Mary Valsala etc were invited and they participated in the same.

The consensus was reached to appointing an expert committee, consisting of the officials of the State Pollution Control Board, three expertsnominated by thelocal community, will study the issue in relation withthe pollution and ground water and by the time the report is submitted,the District Collector will convene a conference regarding the follow upmeasures based on the report. Thus, the agitation was temporarily withdrawn