The Congress has sought to tap into the groundswell of resentment in the Latin Catholic community along the Thiruvananthapuram coast against the government’s alleged failure to prevent recurrent fishing boat accidents at the harbour mouth at Muthalapozhy.
Four fishers died when powerful eddies and conflicting cross-currents supposedly triggered by an underwater sandbar caused their boat to capsize on Monday.
The coastal community had repeatedly demanded that the government periodically dredge the cove to prevent heavy silting that rendered the waters turbulent.
The emotive issue took a turn for the worse when incensed fisherfolk families blockaded the road and harangued three Ministers who visited the locality on Monday. Education Minister V. Sivankutty, Transport Minister Antony Raju and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil were constrained to leave the spot quickly after a section of local people turned their ire on them.
The clergy led by vicar general of the Thiruvananthapuram Archdiocese (Latin rite) Fr. Eugene Periera were present at the place.
Later, the police slapped a case against Fr. Periera for allegedly attempting to incite a riot by provoking the local people.
Manmade reasons
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran accused the Ministers of acting imperiously and riding roughshod over the sentiments of local fishers. He said Muthalapozhy had lost scores of its children to sea due to manmade and easily fixable reasons. However, the government remained cruelly unmoved and rebuked fishers for flagging their anguish at the recurring loss of their brethren to the turbulent sea.
Mr. Sudhakaran said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should apologise to the Latin Catholic community. Mr. Vijayan should remember the yeoman service rendered by fishers during the 2018 floods. “Instead of soothing frayed tempers, the Ministers insulted the community by an open display of high-handedness,” he said.
Mr. Sudhakaran later called on Church leaders at the Bishop’s House in Vellayambalam. He demanded that the government withdraw the case slapped on Fr. Periera.
‘64 lives’
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said the rectifiable flaw at the harbour mouth had cost the lives of 64 fishers so far. The expert committee tasked to study the issue and suggest mitigation measures were yet to submit its report.
Mr. Satheesan alleged that the CPI(M) newspaper, Deshabhimani, had termed Church leaders extremists at the peak of the struggle against Vizhinjam port construction. He said Church leaders, particularly Fr. Periera, were the victims of a political witchhunt launched by the CPI(M).
Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan said he would flag the issue with the Union Minister of Fisheries.
Meanwhile, the Archdiocese condemned the government’s decision to slap a “false case” on Fr. Periera.
