An uneasy calm prevailed at the Jonakapuram auction centre as Jesus, a boat from Vaddy, unloaded its catch under strict police security on Wednesday.
The hall was coming alive after a long gap of three years as the authorities had to close it down following a communal clash in 2016. While some fishers and residents are highly apprehensive about the new development, the Fisheries Department says it is an essential step since three major harbours in the district are not fully operational owing to COVID-19.
Communal harmony
“While some centres were struggling to control the crowd and maintain physical-distancing norms, this hall had been lying idle. The government promotes communal harmony and we cannot ban any particular section at a fish-landing centre. We are trying to accommodate maximum boats and provide them a safe environment during the pandemic. The area is under close surveillance and strict action will be taken against miscreants,” Minister J. Mercykutty Amma told The Hindu.
Residents of nearby fishing villages fear that the situation may turn volatile any moment. “The auction hall was closed for a reason and opening it exploiting the COVID-19 situation is not acceptable. In 2016, two groups clashed over the domination of a community at the hall and unleashed violence across the coastal belt. People were stabbed, homes were vandalised, gas shells were fired, and many were arrested. We do not want any of this to repeat,” says Samson, fisher and secretary of Teeradesha Avakasha Samrakshana Samiti. Antony, another fisher, adds that the Jonakapuram-Moothakara stretch is a highly sensitive area and chances are high for a communal riot to erupt.
Marshell, a crew member of Jesus, said they were not initially prepared to bring the catch to Jonakapuram. “Since we know what happened three years ago, we were not ready to create an issue. Our craft usually goes to Kollam port and today the department instructed us to go to Jonakapuram, which came as quite a surprise. We first thought of throwing the catch back to the sea to avoid any untoward incident, but later brought it to shore under police security,” he says.
At the same time, according to K. Suhair, Deputy Director, Fisheries, most of the fishers are cooperative. ‘The the situation is under control currently and it will improve more in the coming days.”