Tamil Nadu govt to file status report on Nadukuppam fish market

Chennai: The Madras high court has directed the state government to file a status report on the Nadukuppam fish market, on Avvai Shanmugham Salai in the city, burnt during the violence that broke out when the police attempted to disperse pro-jallikattu protesters from Marina beach on January 23.

“We would like to have a status report from the government before considering issuance of a notice in the matter”, said a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M. Sundar while hearing a public interest litigation from advocate P. Pugalenthi, which sought a direction to the state government to reconstruct Nadukuppam fish market and to conduct a medical camp for the residents of Nadukuppam immediately.

Petitioner’s counsel M. Radhakrishnan submitted that the peaceful protest, which went on from January 17 until January 23. The state government had not only supported the student agitation, but promulgated an ordinance on January 21 itself, paving the way to commence the festivity of jallikattu. The students refused to disperse when the police requested them in the early morning of January 23 not believing the ordinance issue.

The students were beaten mercilessly and they were driven out of Marina beach by the policemen wielding lathis, he added. He said hundreds of students ran towards Nadukuppam, a fishing hamlet, for fear that the police might kill them. Residents of Nadukuppam saved many students from the police brutality.  The petitioner along with a few human rights activists visited Nadukuppam on January 25. The petitioner found the fish market was totally burnt down. About 100 women who were sitting there explained what had happened on January 23 and how they were attacked by the policemen who also set fire to the fish market. The residents informed the petitioner that there were about 300 stalls in the fish market. They eke their livelihood only selling the fish.

About 1000 families solely depend on the fish market. Including the loss of fish kept for sale, the damages were huge. Many people, who were affected by the lathi charge appear to be silently suffering, and are afraid to go to the hospital for treatment,  he added.