Escalating stir against Vizhinjam port puts Kerala govt in tight spot

The week-long protests against the port by the coastal community turned aggressive with the agitators entering the port construction site through land and water

The escalating protest by the coastal community under the leadership of Latin Catholic Church against the Adani Vizhinjam international port project in Thiruvananthapuram has put the ruling Left Democratic Front government in Kerala in a tight spot.

The Pinarayi Vijayan government often highlights its development agenda and it had recently firmly dealt with the protests against infrastructure projects like the proposed semi-high-speed rail. But the government is now maintaining utmost restraint.

The week-long protests against the port by the coastal community turned aggressive on Monday with the agitators entering the port construction site through land and water.

Read | Vizhinjam port surrounded from the sea by protesters' boats as agitation intensifies

Sources said that the crucial vote-bank of the coastal areas could be the key reason behind government’s restraint. The thickly populated coastal areas of Kerala are dominated by minority communities. It is considered as a crucial vote bank in many parts of the state.

The Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front is also backing the stir citing that the grievances like the increasing high tides and coastal erosion after the beginning of the port construction need to be addressed. Party leaders including Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor stated that the port project could not be stalled and the concerns of the people should be addressed. The BJP however flayed the stir.

Even as state fisheries minister V Abdurahiman and transport minister Antony Raju, who is also the local MLA, held talks with the Latin Catholic priests spearheading the protests on Friday and gave favourable assurances, the agitation was continuing. The priests said that the agitation would continue until firm actions came from the government on their demands.

On Monday Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held talks with ministers concerned for expediting allocation of land for setting up housing complexes for the affected families. The government plans to offer new houses for 3,000 odd families in the locality.

The key demands of the agitators are proper rehabilitation of families who lost houses allegedly due to the port construction activities, conducting scientific study about the impact of the port construction in the coastal areas as well as increasing fishing boat accidents in the nearby Muthalapozhi region.

A study of National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai concluded that the increasing number of cyclones and frequent depressions in recent years made a large impact on the shoreline. But the coastal community is insisting on a study by a panel comprising local representatives.