Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

Fishermen lend a helping hand

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, SEPT. 26. Fishermen living along the Chennai coast took a day off from work on Sunday. In the shallow waters of the Marina, they were seen in a different role -- helping in the immersion of the Vinayakar idols.

Clad in yellow T-shirts, which read `Friends of Police' and had the name of the sponsor, the fishermen were busy all day taking the Vinayakar idols into the sea on their catamarans. This was in keeping with the High Court ruling that the idols should be immersed 500 metres into the sea.

Along the coast off Foreshore Estate, more than 100 fishermen volunteered to immerse the idols using about 15 catamarans. "About a month ago, the police asked us to help out," said Venugopal of Srinivasapuram. "They said that we would be paid between Rs. 100 and 200."

No monetary offer

The police, however, said that no monetary commitment was made. Said G.U.G. Sastry, Joint Commissioner of Police-South: "We intend to do something for the community as a whole. We have already started a sports club at the hamlet."

Other officials said that they would be adequately compensated for the loss of livelihood for the day through contributions made by corporate sponsors.

A few extra bucks came from the devotees who carried the idols to the immersion points. "They tipped us anywhere between Rs. 20 to Rs. 50," said Venkatesh, another fisherman. "This being off season, not all of us venture into the sea."

At Kasimedu, about 20 volunteers from the local fishing community assisted Chennai Port Trust employees in the immersion. They helped themselves in retrieving whatever they could from the remnants of the idols, including dhotis and fruit-garlands.

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