While the Kerala government is all set to accord a grand reception to the first ship to dock at the seaport in Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram, being built by the Adani Ports, on October 15 Sunday, there is an uneasiness in the Latin Church which is not enthused by the event as several of their demands to protect the interest of fisher community remain unmet.
State Port Minister Ahammad Devarkovil and the office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan tried to negotiate with the Thiruvananthapuram diocese but Archbishop Thomas J Netto and Archbishop Emeritus Soosa Pakiam have declined the invitation to attend the event.
The Church leadership had led a 140 day strike against the Vizhinjam seaport project raising concerns of environmental degradation and the livelihood of the fishing community in 2022. The protests were temporarily called off in December 2022.
There was a plan to observe October 15 as a black day to protest against the port project but it was dropped later by the Church leadership.
“Fishers wanted to observe October 15 as a day of deception. But we discouraged that. It is quite painful that no compensation was announced for the families of fisherfolk who lost lives in Muthalapozhi and Perumathura," vicar general Father Eugene Pereira told the media on October 14, Saturday. The surge in the number of boat mishaps in these areas have been blamed on changed wave patterns caused by the Vizhinjam port development.
He also questioned the state’s decision to hold a grand celebration to mark the arrival of a ship carrying cranes from China when the Kerala government was facing a financial crisis. He alleged that only 60% of the work on the port project has been completed.
"The names of bishops were added to the invitation without discussion or getting approval from them. People will not be deceived by all these celebrations," he said.
The names of the bishops were mentioned in the invitation letter of the event along with CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Port Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan.
Congress leaders including the leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan and MP Shashi Tharoor will attend the event. They have demanded that the port should be named after former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who passed away recently.
The ship Zhen-Hua 15 had left the shores of China in August and had its first berthing at the Mundra Port in Gujarat earlier this month. It reached the outer waters of Vizhinjam on October 11, Wednesday.