Protest for ignoring coastal dists in budget in Udupi

Mangalore Today News Network

UDUPI, June 14 2018: The fisherwomen of Udupi staged a protest against the JD(S) and Congress coalition government for ignoring the coastal districts in the budget, here at the fish market.

The fisherwomen shouted slogans against the chief minister and said that ‘Kumaraswamy is not our chief minister’. They shouted slogans against the government and stated that the government has ignored the fishing industry.

The unique protest was carried out at their respective counters in the fish market by the fisherwomen who attached the pamphlets carrying the messages against the state government to their counters. The pamphlets carried slogans like state government is biased, lackadaisical government and the government has failed to waive the loans of fisherwomen. They also had pamphlets containing message against the chief minister. As many as 197 fisherwomen took part in the protest, led by the Fisherwomen’s Association president Baby Salian.

Baby said there is no difference between the fishing communities and the farmers. Why should the government be biased when the fishermen work like farmers? The government is only bothered about the farmers. There are nearly 10,000 fresh fish selling women in the district. The government has also failed to fulfil the assurances made in the previous budget, she said.

Fisherwomen also belong to the state. It is sad that government has not even provided a single facility to the fishing community. The fisherwomen have huge loans and they should work hard to repay the loan amount, she added.

She stated that state government is blind towards the fisherwomen and their plight.