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If Tamil Nadu’s proposed new Secretariat complex comes up at Pattinapakkam in Chennai, fishers fear that they will be cut off from both their homes and livelihoods.
“Because of the proposed Secretariat, we may lose our ancestral lands. Our entire livelihood becomes a question mark,” says Suresh, a fisherman.
“We will be restricted from taking our boats out, storing nets, drying fish and selling catch,” adds Sathish Kumar, another Pattinapakkam resident.
Both of them joined hundreds of other fishermen on September 29 at Srinivasapuram to protest against the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam-led (TVK) state government’s proposed new Secretariat and Legislative Assembly complex at Pattinapakkam, also known as Foreshore Estate.
GR Vijayan, a representative of the Tamil Nadu Fishermen Federation, told TNM that if the government order (GO) for the project isn’t rescinded in five days, fishermen will call for strikes across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Protestors have put forward two demands. First, GO 564, issued on September 8 to approve the proposal, must be withdrawn with immediate effect. Secondly, Pattinapakkam must be recognised as traditional residential land that belongs to the neighbourhood’s fishing communities.
The proposed complex is estimated to cost Rs 1,200 crore, covering 25.55 acres. The government has said that the detailed project report (DPR) is still under preparation and the project itself is at a preliminary stage.
But for the fishers who live and work around the proposed site, the concern now is whether they will have continued access to the sea, the beach and the surrounding spaces required for business.
Hundreds of fishers, including women, from villages along the Chennai coast participated in the protest. More than 200 police personnel were deployed around the protest site, with barricades.
Community representatives from Mullikuppam, Mullimanagar, Mylapore, Srinivasapuram, Nochikuppam, Ennore, Kovalam and other coastal villages joined the protest. Representatives from around 56 fishing villages between Ennore and Kovalam, along with community leaders from Rameswaram, Kanniyakumari and Puducherry, were also present.
Access to livelihoods and housing
Bhuvaneshwari, a resident, said the area’s entire fishing activity is centred around the proposed site.
“If the fishermen are made to move from here, where will they store their nets and boats?” she asks.
Not only are they worried about access to the sea, fishers also point out that if a high-security government complex comes up in the neighbourhood, spaces to sell and buy the day’s catch will be cut off too.
“If the Secretariat comes here, the fishermen cannot go to the sea and engage in business as usual. Similarly, customers may not be allowed into the area to buy our catch,” says Shankar.
He adds that the security arrangements for the Secretariat could affect even routine fishing activities, fearing that even the amount of time available to go out to sea and return may be restricted.
“Where will the MLAs, visiting dignitaries and foreign diplomats park their vehicles? They will ask for our lands,” he points out.
The protests have also reignited their longstanding demand for better housing and the transfer of land pattas in the neighbourhood. Some allege that several of the buildings were constructed in the 1970s during late Chief Minister K Kamaraj’s tenure. Many homes have not received adequate maintenance after the 2004 tsunami, they further say.
Saranya, a resident, highlights the current poor condition of housing: “A week ago, a staircase collapsed, leaving one person injured. No government official visited him. First, build us new homes,” she said.
Traffic concerns
The proposed site is along a densely populated coastal stretch. Residents say a new secretariat could worsen traffic congestion in an area that already sees heavy vehicular movement, particularly during peak hours.
Saranya now worries that an influx of new vehicles and security arrangements may increase traffic, restrict free movement and possibly delay children rushing to school.
Even if there’s a requirement for a new Secretariat, Maaran, another resident, asks why it has to be constructed in a small, densely populated area like Pattinapakkam.
What residents expect from Vijay
GR Vijayan, a representative of the Tamil Nadu Fishermen Federation, said neither CM C Joseph Vijay nor Minister and Mylapore MLA P Venkataramanan held consultations with residents before the GO was issued.
“We are giving them a five-day deadline to rescind the GO and return the land to fishers. After that, all fishing villages in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will go on strike and stage protests, he added.
Some protesters say they believe Vijay will withdraw the proposal, pointing out how he had scrapped the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) Parandur Greenfield airport amid sustained protests from residents and ecological concerns.
However, Pattinapakkam residents also express their disappointment that no MLA nor TVK leaders have visited the protest site, even though ten such protests have already been held.
Suresh says, “Some people claim the GO will be withdrawn. But that has to be shown in action. The Chief Minister must announce in the Assembly that the project has been scrapped and that the GO stands rescinded. That is what we need.”