Kerala - Kollam   

Fishworkers stage dharna

By Our Staff Reporter

KOLLAM, FEB. 3. Hundreds of members of the fishing community assembled today at the Vady beach and marched through the city to hold a demonstration in front of the Head Post Office here to register their protest against the Central Government for granting fishing rights to foreign boats on Indian waters and the hike in kerosene prices.

The demonstration was led by the national vice-president of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), J. Mercykutty, the leaders of the Fish Workers Coordination Committee, M. Ambrose, P. Jerome and A. Andrews, the leader of the Boat Owners Association, Neythil Vincent, and the Kollam Corporation councillors, Basil Lal and B. Peter.

Inaugurating the demonstration, Ms. Mercykutty said the Central Government's policies had driven members of the fishing community to launch an agitation to save the sea from foreign invasion. She said that there was considerable anxiety among the fishing communities all over the country because of such policies.

She said the main fear was whether the community members would even lose their traditional rights over the sea. More than 800 foreign ships were now operating in the nation's territorial waters. These ships have been granted the license to `loot the marine wealth of the country', which belonged to the fishing community, she said.

The apprehension was that more such ships would be granted licence for the same activity. She said that the demonstration marked the beginning of a fight to establish the right of the fishing community members over the sea. The agitation would continue till the foreign ships were asked to quit the Indian waters, she warned.

She questioned the justification of the Centre in imposing a 39 per cent Excise Duty on kerosene, which is the main fuel utilised by traditional fishermen for fishing. This was forcing traditional fishermen to pay through their nose for engaging in their livelihood.

Added to all these, there were moves to grant monopoly rights for the import of kerosene to a particular business house, she alleged.

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