Thiruvananthapuram: As the protest against the Vizhinjam Port inches towards 100 days, the Latin Church has urged the protesters to intensify the stir.
On October 27, which will be the 100th day of the fight, protest should be held both on land and the sea, stated the circular.
The day will witness protest on land at Mullur, Vizhinjam, and the sea strike at Muthalappozhi, it added.
Bishop Dr Thomas J Netto exhorted the laity to include people from all dioceses of the Church in the protest. This is the sixth circular in connection with the issue, after the protests began in August.
The agitation council (samara samithi), meanwhile, has decided to disregard the government's decision to study the accidents at Muthalappozhi Harbour. The initiative to study the issue, helmed by the Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune, was launched as an effort to appease the protesters. However, the study, without involving local experts is a farce, according to the fisher-folk.
The protesters had also raised their voices against the government forming expert panel to study coastal erosion, without a local representative. To plan the upcoming activities, the samara smaithi will convene a meeting on Monday.
It was in the third week of last August that fisher-folk from Vizhinjam took out a massive protest rally in the Kerala capital and laid siege to the Secretariat with boats and fishing nets, alleging that the Left government was ignoring their demands. They later tabled a seven-point demand with the government, which included the complete closure of the Vizhinjam Port.
While Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan claims that all demands except the closure of the port helmed by the Adani Group have been met, the samara samithi begs to differ and has been intensifying the strike from time to time.