Rahul Gandhi demands ministry for fisheries sector

After meeting the families of the fishermen who were either killed or went missing in cyclone Ockhi in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district, Congress' president-elect Rahul Gandhi on Thursday assured to raise the issue of a separate ministry for fisheries in the Parliament to look after the interest of fisherfolk.

"I have already said and repeated in Gujarat as well that farmers have their own Ministry, but fishermen do not have a ministry at the national level. And I think in this difficult time for fishermen it is important that you have someone an institution, a ministry to look after your interest. So that you know whom to turn to in difficult times. We will raise the issue in the Parliament," he said after meeting the fishermen families, affected by cyclone Ockhi at Chinnathurai coastal hamlet in Kanyakumari district. He was accompanied by Tamil Nadu Congress unit president

Su Thirunavukarasu, MLAs KR Ramasamy and S. Vijayadharani.

Apologising for not visiting them immediately after the disaster struck, Rahul said the intention of his visit was to try and help the fishermen and farmers in whatever way possible even though Congress party was not in power in Tamil Nadu as well as in the country. "But we are in the opposition. The opposition has a very powerful role to play. We can put a lot of pressure on the government. We will do our duty and put a tremendous amount of pressure in the Parliament house and in Tamil Nadu to make sure you get the justice," he said.

He interacted with a few affected women, who said they briefed him about their "grievances". Cyclone Ockhi, packed with strong wind and rain, ravaged Kanyakumari district on November 30 with the fishermen community facing its brunt.

40 BOATS MISSING

• A fortnight after the natural disaster, still over 390 fishermen and about 40 fishing boats are missing as per the estimate of the fishermen.
   
• “We will wait until Christmas for the missing fishermen to return. After that we will declare them as dead,” said Rev. Fr. Churchill, general secretary of South Asian Fishermen Fraternity