Fishers stage protest on beach demanding amenities

Fishers in Mayiladuthurai protest lack of amenities, demand new fish market, ration shop, and harbor, threatening to boycott elections.

Families of fishers of four villages in Thennampattinam panchayat in Mayiladuthurai district staged a protest on the beach on Wednesday in protest against the lack of basic amenities in their villages and threatened to boycott the Lok Sabha election.

Families from four fishermen villages of Kizhamuvarkarai, Savadikuppam, Melamoovarkarai and Konnayampattinam came together and stepped into the sea to stage a demonstration. Construction of a new building for the fish market, separate building for a ration shop and a harbour for their fifty plus motor boats were among the demands raised by the villagers.

The efforts taken by M. Panneerselvam, Sirkazhi MLA to pacify the protesters went in vain.

The villagers said that they would continue the agitation every day until the Collector visited their village and assured action.

M .Thiruvengadam, a fisherman from Kizhamuvarkarai village, speaking to The Hindu said, “Our four villages have several thousand fishermen but we don’t have a proper building to sell fish. The existing one is very old. We don’t have a separate building for ration shop, the existing ones operate from the community welfare centre building. Whenever rain comes, all the rice stored goes to waste. We have met with Collector A.P. Mahabharathi multiple times with our demand but no action has been taken so far. Being pushed this far by the government departments we have decided to boycott the Lok Sabha elections.”