Kanyakumari: Huge protests in sea, land against container project

KANYAKUMARI: Thousands of fishermen and farmers along with their women folk and children protested simultaneously in sea and on land at Muhilankudiyiruppu village in Kanyakumari district against the proposed International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT) project. 

Holding black flags, around 500 fishermen and youths ventured into the sea in their fiberglass boats and mechanised boats and staged a sea protest, while the women and children showed their protest by gathering at the beach and waved black flags against the proposed project. 

They fear it would create an irreparable damage to the serene coastal environment of Kanyakumari district apart from affecting the livelihoods of thousands of fishermen and farmers. The protest originally planned in front of the district collector’s office, was, however, shifted to the coastal hamlet of Muhilankudiyiruppu after police withdrew permission to them to hold a demonstration in front of the collector’s office.

The protesters started assembling at the coastal hamlet since early today. Representing around 40 coastal villages, they began the demonstration at 10 am that went on for around two hours till 12 pm,  when the protestors disbursed peacefully. Catholic parish priests including the Kottar diocese bishop Nazrene Soosai and former IAS officer, M G Devasagayam along with many Catholic nuns and fishermen leaders participated in the agitation.

South zone IG, Shailesh Kumar Yadav along with the Tirunelveli range DIG, Kapil Kumar Saratkar, the SPs’ of Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts camped in Kanyakumari district and monitored the situation.