On Tuesday, after concluding talks with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the protestors called off their strike and ended their almost 130-day-long strike against the under-construction Vizhinjam sea port. The unrest had been put to an end by Vicar General Eugene Pereira, who had led the demonstrations. The state government has reportedly agreed to provide those who lose their homes with a monthly rent payment of Rs 5,500, provide subsidies for boat fuel, and complete the current flat repair work in a year, according to sources cited by news agency ANI.
Pereira added that ‘the demonstration was being put on hold because it had reached a certain stage and would restart if required, not because the demonstrators were happy with the assurances given by the state administration’, according to PTI. The multipurpose harbour at adjacent Mulloor has seen the fishermen’s rallies for the past few months at the main entrance. If one enters the harbour, they claim, one can observe enormous sand dunes that were dug out from the sea and stacked up, proving that it was not a natural port.
They have been pressing their seven-point charter of demands in relation to the multi-crore project, which includes stopping construction and carrying out a coastline impact analysis. A few days ago, the Vizhinjam Police detained five protesters for allegedly blocking trucks in Thiruvananthapuram, which resulted in a fight, and the fishermen’s unrest turned violent. Four of the five protesters were eventually released, though.
These trucks were transporting supplies for the Adani Group’s development of the Vizhinjam port. The alleged altercation started when one group of protesters opposed to the construction of Vizhinjam port blocked these vehicles and another group that was in favour of the port project opposed them.
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