Abid, a mechanic on the coast of Veravel in Gujarat, earns his livelihood by servicing the boats of fishermen. He is now looking for other vocations in other cities as the fishermen are unable to pay him. “The sea has started drying up. There is no fish. So how will they pay me,” he asks. His father was also a helper at the yard in Veravel.
The steep increase in diesel prices, freight cost that went up six times in two years and the dwindling fish production are creating a distress-like situation in the coastal belt of Gujarat, giving tough times for the ruling BJP ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections. The belt of about 33 seats had supported the Congress in 2017 and the Opposition party won 24 seats. This year, the BJP is trying to address the woes of fishermen and industries in the fishing sector ahead of the elections. The Congress is also equally engaged to improve its tally and is ready with a lot of promises to voters in the belt.
