Thiruvananthapuram diocese stands with fisher folk against new port

Kerala’s chief minister attacks the local Church for its support of fishermen’s protest and their call for an environmental impact assessment. Development “should be for the people, not for corporate interests,” Fr Thelekat tells AsiaNews.

Thiruvananthapuram (AsiaNews) – Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram are at loggerheads over the latter’s support for fishermen protesting against plans to build a new, deep-water seaport and a container transhipment terminal in Vizhinjam, in the southern part of the state.

On Monday, Mr Vijavan travelled to the area to hand out subsidies to a hundred families affected by coastal erosion and took the opportunity to attack the diocese, which had called on fishermen to boycott the ceremony.

For Mr Vijayan, while some think the government is a puppet in the hands of a few, most people are on the side of the government.

Yet, fishermen organised a protest march and, during a meeting with government officials, renewed their demand that construction of the new port be suspended and a proper environmental impact study be carried out.

“Kerala’s chief minister seems to forget the new seaport project should be for the people, not for corporate interests,” said Fr Paul Thelakat, editor-in-chief of Light of Truth and former spokesman for the Syro-Malabar Synod, speaking to AsiaNews.

“The seaport is worthwhile only if it substantially benefits the people,” he explained. “Moreover, the people who are uprooted must be safely resettled and their livelihood safeguarded. Currently, progress and development are intended primarily for corporations and rulers, not the people.”

Turning to the communist ideology of Vijavan’s party, Fr Thelekat wonders: “Is Marxism becoming some sort of state capitalism as in China and North Korea? The experience of the uprooted people of Moolampilly will not be forgotten.”

“The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Kerala is on the side of the fisher folk of Trivandrum[*] and supports them and their archbishop. The Church will stand with the fisher folk to safeguard their rights.”

[*] Former name of Thiruvananthapuram.

• india
• kerala
• vizhinjam
• seaport
• development
• catholic church
• opposition
• environmental impact
• assessment
• chief minister pinarayi Vijayan
• syro-malabar synod