Sea of protesters Block NH 66 to put pressure on the Govt to trace missing fishermen
Udupi: The fishermen community of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttar Kannada districts showed their strength by holding a 4-hour ‘rasta roko’ on National Highway 66 at Ambalapadi Junction on Sunday, January 6.
The protest was organized by the fishermen Association Malpe to put pressure on the State government to trace the fishing boat, Suvarna Tribhuja with seven fishermen on board, which went missing off the coast of Goa on December 15.
Scores of people from Uttar Kannada, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi District gathered at the Malpe port to express their solidarity and put pressure on the State government to trace the missing fishermen. Fishermen blocked the national highway 66 near Ambalpadi Junction and held a public meeting on the road.
Addressing the protesters Satish Kundar, president of Malpe Fishermen Association, said that it was 24 days since the boat went missing. About 1,000 deep-sea trawlers and 130 purse seine boats had stopped their fishing operations and were anchored at the Malpe fisheries harbour for the last many days after the Suvarna Tribhuja went missing and created an atmosphere of fear among the fishermen. Only small country boats were going out for fishing, he said.
Today we held a huge protest with a Padayatra from Malpe to Udupi. The home minister had held a meeting with the fishermen and police officials yesterday. The State and Central governments are doing their work but without any positive results till now. With this Padayartra we urge the government to speed up the search operation using innovative technology, he said.
Shamili Trust chairman Dr G Shanker said that it was 24 days since the boat went missing but we are not satisfied with the governments search operations. If any farmer had died in the state then the government officials would have been running to his house but here seven fishermen are missing and everyone is silent. If the government fails to trace the fishermen then we will show our strength in the coming election, he warned.
Udupi Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje said the last communication from the missing boat had been traced to a place near Sindhudurg district in Maharashtra. Hence, pressure had also been put on the Maharashtra government to trace the missing boat and the fishermen.
“I had spoken to Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil and also to the Director-General of Police of Maharashtra over the phone and informed them about the missing boat. Chief Secretary of the State T.M. Vijay Bhaskar had already written to Chief Secretary of Maharashtra Dinesh Kumar Jain on this issue”.
“I also met the personal secretary for the Union Minister for External Affairs and also sought the help of the Ministry in tracing the boat. All possible efforts have been made to trace the missing boat”, she said.
Before two days I had met the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi and sought the help of his Ministry in tracing the fishing boat, Suvarna Tribhuja, which went missing off the coast of Goa on December 15.
Rajanth Singh had assured of directing his officers to conduct a thorough investigation into the possibilities of whether the boat had been hijacked by either sea pirates or terrorists”.
Rajanth Singh had also assured her of directing the police of all States on the West Coast to coordinate and conduct investigations on this issue. She said that she had told Singh that the fishermen across coastal Karnataka are worried after the boat went missing. Fishing activities had almost come to a standstill here, she said.
Various fishermen leaders Jaya C Kotian, Yashpal Suvarna, Ganapathi Magre, Andand Kharvi, Rajesh Uppunda, Gangadhar Suvarna, former minister Pramod Madhwaraj, MLA Kumta Dinakar Shetty, MLA Udupi Raghupathi Bhat, MLA Kaup Lalaji R Mendon, MLA Surathkal Bharath V Shetty and others spoke on the occasions.
Later, on behalf of the State government, district Minister Dr Jayamala visited the protest spot and received the memorandum from the protesters.
Addressing the protesters Minister Jayamala said, “We are confident that the seven fishermen, who were on board the boat, will return safely. The fishermen community fears that fishermen have been kidnapped by sea pirates. The government has carried out search operations using the services of the Coast Guard and Navy as well. The district administration has taken all the measures to ensure that continued search operations are carried out.”
She appealed to the community members not to lose hopes. The Coastal Security Police, Coast Guard and fisheries department have already been alerted. The search operations have been carried out in Goa and Maharashtra as well, she added.
She said that the state government has already written to the armed forces for help in the search operations. All efforts are being made to trace the fishermen.
“We are aware of the situation of the fishermen families. The fishermen should not live in fear,” she said.
Satish Kundar, president of Malpe Fishermen’s Association also handed over the memorandum to the deputy commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis. He also thanked DC Priyanka Mary Francis and SP Laxman Nimbargi for their support and guidance from day one. After the incident, both officials acted immediately and contacted all higher officials and have been updating the fishermen association on daily basis.
A large police force was deployed at Malpe – Udupi SP Laxman Nimbargi was personally present and monitoring the situation at the protest.