In Sri Lanka, we have only one million fisher population and we are priviledged to have a Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic resources though there in no serious mechanism to redress the grievances of fisher people's. But, the case of India is totally different with 100 million fisher population in the country, there is no fisheries ministry established in the system and the fisher people's issues are to direct through ministry of agriculture and animal husbandry.
The NFF Chairperson, the counter part of NAFSO Sri Lanka, he had issued a press statement while congratulating newly formed Indian government under the Premiership of Narendra Modi of Bharatheeya Janatha Party demanding due attention to pay for the fisher population in India.
I thought it is good to share this information as we are concern about the trends of Indian politics as well as welfare of the Indian fisher people. However, it should state at this stage, I am personally and as a movement, we are not 100% agree to what Illango had stated in his statement over BJP and their future.
PRESS STATMENT of M. Illango.
National Fishworkers’ Forum,
Chairperson M.Ilango – Ex.M.L.A., has stated the following, during the Press
Meet held on 20.05.2014 at the Administrative Office of NFF at
Pondicherry. The details as follows:-
NFF
congratulates the Prime Minister Designate Shri. Narendhra Modiji and the
Barathiya Janatha Party for their greatest victory in the 16th Lok
Sabha Election. It also congratulates
all the 543 newly elected members of
Parliament to the 16th
Lok Sabha.
Fishermen Community who are living in
the 36 Indian States including 7 Union Territories, in which marine fishers are
living in the 13 Coastal States and Inland fishers are living in 36 States had
not been paid any attention or due care or adequate representation in the
Parliament during the past 65 years by the Central Governments governed by the
Congress and other parties.
To cite this inattentive nature of
Central Government, NFF conducted various agitations throughout the Nation
during the past 1-1/2 years.
Posing
the main demands as
1. Create separate Ministry in the
Centre for fisheries and fishermen welfare and
2. Include the fishermen Community
into the Scheduled Tribe list
NFF
dragged the attention of the then Prime Minister, Central Ministers, Members of
Parliament, Chairperson of UPA through its five days Dharna in New Delhi during
March 2013, in front of Parliament at Jantar Mantar.
But as usual, no fruitful steps had
been carried out by the then Central Government.
To emphasize our demands for redressal
under the Chairmanship of M.Ilango, the NFF office bearers along with other important
leaders met the then Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh, Mrs.Sonia Gandhi,
President of INC, Mr.Rahul Gandhi, Vice President of INC, Prime Minister
Designate Shri.Narendra Modi, Mr.Rajnath Singh – President BJP, Mrs.Sushma
Swaraj, Mr.Arun Jaitly, Mr.Nithin Katkari, all BJP leaders and all other
National and regional political party leaders and requested them to include the
main demands of National Fishworkers’ Forum in their Election Manifesto which
was to be released for the Lok Shaba Election and also requested the leaders to
openly support our demands and asked them to announce the acceptance of our
demands during their Election Campaign.
We extend our heartiest gratitude to
the National and Regional political parties which included our demands in their
Election Manifesto and also for their announcement of the acceptance of our
demands during the time of their Election Campaign.
The
leaders of BJP, Prime Minister designate Mr.Narendra Modi, Mr.Rajnath Singh,
Mrs.Sushma Swaraj, Mr.Arun Jaitly, Mr.Nithin Katkari have openly promised
during their election Campaign to fulfill the long pending important demands of
fishermen community including the setting up of a separate Ministry for
fisheries and fishermen welfare under the Union
Government.
We strongly believe that it is the
responsible duty of BJP and its leader Shri.Narendra Modi and others to execute
their promises, since they are to ascend their Union Government at
present.
It
is also our duty to inform the BJP that during the 55 years of rule at Central
by the Congress party and 6 years of tenure by BJP, no representation in the
Central Cabinet had been provided to the fishing community.
As
a measure of redressal, this time the entire fishing community is eagerly
waiting for a berth to its community representative in the Union Cabinet and
also creation of a separate Ministry for fisheries at the Centre.
In
order to emphasize our request, the NFF
is planning to send a letter to the Prime Minister and other leaders and also
to meet them in short span of time to press our demands.
The
entire Nation knows that BJP is the party which attributes great pride to the
history of Mahabharatha for its moral values and since the entire Mahabharatha
has its origin by a woman from fishermen community – the origin tribes of this
Country, to commemorate our Community,
we expect justice and speedy salvation of our demands and requests at the
earliest.
We are very grateful to the high
valued culture to select a fisherman from the State of Gujarat to Rajya Sabha,
unopposed during March 2014, just 2 months ago. Likewise, we expect from Mr.Narendra Modiji
to provide a berth in the Central Cabinet to a fisherman of the 16th
Lok Sabha.
With Warm Regards,
M.Ilango Ex. M.L.A.
M.Ilango Ex. M.L.A.
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