About 1,000 fishers and residents from more than 10 fishing hamlets in Chennai’s Pattinapakkam area gathered at Marina Beach to oppose the Tamil Nadu government’s proposal to construct a new Secretariat-cum-Assembly complex in the locality. The meeting held on Tuesday, September 15 demanded that the government withdraw its order for the project by September 21.
The Tamil Nadu government has issued an order for a new Secretariat-cum-Assembly complex at Foreshore Estate in Pattinapakkam.
Representatives of fishing panchayats, who held a consultation meeting on the beach, warned of a statewide protest if the government did not revoke the order. The proposed complex is planned at Foreshore Estate in Pattinapakkam, with the project estimated to cost around Rs 1,200 crore, according to the fishers.
The protesters said they had not been consulted before the government selected the site and alleged that the project would affect the traditional livelihood of fishing communities in the area. They also raised concerns over the impact on nearly 20,000 schoolchildren living in the coastal settlements.
“Having chosen the land, the government has issued the GO. Even if there is a small movement in that direction [towards construction of the complex], we will not remain quiet. We are stakeholders, and we were not consulted in any manner. This has left us with no choice but to stage massive statewide protests against the project,” community leader K Bharathi told The Hindu.
The protesters said fishers were already facing restrictions on fishing and selling their catch because of security arrangements around the Chief Minister’s residence in the area. They alleged that the police and Fisheries Department impose further restrictions during major government events.
“From Nochikuppam to Mulli Kuppam, fishers are being affected. When the Chief Minister goes to the Secretariat area to hoist the national flag on Independence Day, the Fisheries Department tells us not to go fishing. We are already facing considerable pressure from the police,” they said.
The report also quoted VR Vijayan of Maylai Pagudhi Anaithu Meenava Grama Panchayat Sabhai, saying that a large portion of the land identified for the Secretariat complex belonged to the Srinivasapuram and Mulli Kuppam fishing hamlets.
“We had been waiting for the government to construct homes for fishermen there. If the government drops the proposal, well and good. We will give some time to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to return from his UK trip so that he can rethink the decision,” he said.
Another community leader, ‘Kabaddi’ Maran, said the proposed complex would severely affect the lives of around 1,500 fishing families in the area. He said security restrictions around the complex could make it difficult for residents to leave their homes and fishers to access the sea.
“Because of security reasons, our lives and livelihood will be reduced to nothing. We won’t be able to step out of our homes or go fishing. While we accept that there is a need for a new Secretariat, this definitely is not the location,” he told The Hindu.
The fishers said the community’s opposition was particularly strong among young people and women and urged the government to reconsider the location. They said fishers from across Tamil Nadu would join a large-scale protest if the government did not withdraw the order by September 21.