Include Fishing Community in ST list – AIFC state president U R Sabhbapathi
Udupi: The All India Fishermen Congress Karnataka State President U R Sabhbapathi, urged the Union government to take steps to include the fishing community in the Scheduled Tribes list as it would benefit several lakh downtrodden people.
He was speaking at a press meet held at the press club on Thursday, October 19. Sabhbapathi said that the Indian national congress has formed a national-level union of fishermen congress recently. The first meeting was chaired by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. In that meeting, the national committee discussed many issues faced by the Fishermen in the country. A large section of the fishermen live in pathetic conditions like poverty and suppression. A number of memorandums have been sent to the Union government which should have been considered to provide relief to them. The fishermen community, by their very geographical nature, is socially and educationally akin to the Scheduled Tribes.” Considering these factors, they deserve to be included in the ST list, which would enable them to progress in life, he said.
The All India Fishermen Congress has also decided to urge the Union Government to seriously consider the long-pending demand for the formation of a separate ministry for fisheries at the central level, as keeping fisheries within the purview of the Union Agriculture Ministry is leading to the gross neglect of the fisheries sector. The All India Fishermen Congress has also urged the Union Government to form a separate national fishing policy. he added.
All India Fishermen Congress Karnataka has decided to organize a state level massive fishermen’s rally at Karwar, Uttar Kannada district. The Rally will be addressed by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, he said.
Later he released the list of office bearers of State level Fishermen Congress Karnataka committee. The committee will visit all the districts of Karnataka and appoint the district level office bearers soon, he added.
State office bearers Sarala Kanchan, Sadashiva Karkera, Shekar Suvarna, Kiran Kumar and others were present during the press meet.