The fishermen in Kerala's Kollam district were in for a surprise when Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, 23 February ventured into the sea on a fishing boat with them. He even swam with them.
In the visuals of Rahul Gandhi's visit to the coastal region of Thangassery in Kollam district, the Congress leader can be seen having some fun moments with the fishermen. Rahul also swam in the sea with the fishermen.
It was "a dream come true," said Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday after spending an hour in the sea on a boat with fishermen off the coast in Kerala. The Congress leader's four-day visit to Kerala ahead of the 2021 Kerala Assembly election, concluded on Wednesday.
He arrived in the seashore village near Kollam and took off on the fishing boat. When he returned, he said that spending some time with the fishermen had been on his bucket list for a long time. The Wayanad MP said he has been asking the leaders to make arrangement for him to travel with the fisherfolk.
"Right from the time I hopped into the boat, the travel on the high sea till the time I got out, it was an experience that taught me how difficult life is for a fisherman, who is engaged in a fight with the sea, and finally the biggest profit is for someone else,” he said.
"I saw for myself when the net was cast and later pulled out, there was just one squid. I was expecting a net full of fish, but it was not to be," said Rahul Gandhi as he engaged in a direct interaction with thousands of fishermen who had turned up on the seashore to hear him.
"This one hour in the sea has made me respect you even more because your life is dangerous and risky and even though we all eat fish, not many think of the tough life that you have. For the first time, I have realised your difficulties to get the fish on others' plate," said the Congress leader.
When the huge gathering of fisherfolk asked the Congress MP about his plans for the fishing community in the state, he said, “While the farmers have a dedicated ministry, the fishermen do not have. I assure you that we will set up a dedicated ministry to look after your needs. I will do my best to see how your life can be made easy.”
He also said that the Congress-led UDF is in the process of preparing a manifesto. “I will ask the people engaged in preparing it to have a detailed conversation with you to know what you need and include it in the manifesto. Once included, I will assure you that it will be done," he added.
Pointing out that it was during PV Narashima Rao's tenure that international trawlers first made an appearance in Kerala, another fisherman questioned the ill-effects of globalisation on the sea and its resources. To this, Rahul Gandhi said that it's true that globalisation has ill-effects, but one should also look into the gains.
The question came in view of state party leader Ramesh Chennithala accusing the Pinarayi Vijayan government of signing an MOU with US firm EMCC for deep sea fishing.
(This story was first published in The News Minute and has been republished with permission)
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