400 academics & activists express solidarity with fish workers’ protest against Adani International Seaport at Vizhinjam, Kerala

Representative Image | Photo: PTI

The coastal fishing community in and around Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala has been involved in a prolonged struggle against the construction of the ongoing International seaport which is being built at Vizhinjam by Adani ports. Protesters have alleged that the port has resulted in coastal erosion leading to the disappearance of coasts and the destruction of houses in the fishing villages. The dredging in the port will result in the loss of local fishing habitats leading to the destruction of the livelihood of thousands of fishing families and their displacement from the coasts. 

In 2017, Sabrangindia had carried a detailed report on how this Adani-owned port is estimated to cost a huge loss to the public exchequer and go the way of the Vallarpadam Container Terminal, which was commissioned in 2011 at a huge public cost and is today running at a loss. 

As the coastal community’s sit-in protest continues against the distress caused by the Vizhinjam Adani port gathering solidarity and support at the state level, protesters have alleged that the corporate-backed media such as News 18, Janam TV, Desabhimani, Kerala Kaumudi are now resorting to blatant lies and misinformation against the protest and protesters. As a part of this concerted campaign, the statesment says that “attempts have been made to slander Ms Aleyama Vijayan who is the founder trustee of the feminist organisation Sakhi women’s resource centre and has been working for women’s empowerment for the past three decades, along with AJ Vijayan, who has been working as a trade unionist and researcher in the fisheries sector since 1980.” 

It has accused that Sakhi, a women’s rights organisation based out of Thiruvananthapuram, which has no direct affiliations with the protest committee, is “receiving foreign contributions” for the protests. They have already issued a defamation suit against the media for spreading misinformation and rumours. Sigantories to this statement have said that the details on the Sakhi website show that all their activities are transparent. “We support this legal suit and wish this organisation to operate smoothly in the future,” it adds.  

The rest of the statement is reproduced here: 

“The attempt to portray the struggle as a foreign conspiracy through funding is malicious and an insult to the fishing community who is fighting against the port and its sponsors. 

“We request that all people who believe in democracy protest against this false propaganda. This slander campaign is done together with attempts by vested groups to create communal issues and problems of law and order on the coast, to divide the fishing and host communities in the name of religion. We urge the government, masses and civil society groups to positively intervene to keep communal harmony and peace. 

“The fisher folks in Vizhinjam, under the leadership of Thiruvananthapuram Latin Archdiocese, have been protesting for the last 105 days, raising seven demands, including stoppage of the construction of the seaport in Vizhinjam and a complete study on the impact and damages by the port by an independent team of experts including people representing the fisher community. 

“The rest of the six demands from the formation are:

(1) Find a sustainable solution to coastal erosion on the Thiruvananthapuram coast due to the unscientific constructions in the sea, including that caused by the Vizhinjam port construction.

(2) Provide temporary rental accommodation to people whose houses were destroyed due to coastal erosion.

(3) Plan and implement reasonable policies to rehabilitate the people who have lost their land and houses.

(4) Intervene to revoke the kerosene price hike; provide subsidised kerosene following the neighbouring state Tamil Nadu model.

(5) Provide minimum wages to the fisher folks to compensate for the loss on the days of fishing weather warnings.

(6) Find sustainable solutions to the problems instead of temporary ones. The claim that all the demands have been more or less accepted by the government has been debunked by the Convener of the protest committee, Thiruvananthapuram Latin Archdiocese, Fr. Eugene Pereira, in a press conference on October 31st, 2022. 

The statement also states that that, while it “..it is undemocratic that, instead of fulfilling their obligation to settle the strike, the ruling government is resorting to covert attempts to tarnish the repurtation coastal communities and overturn their struggle. 

“We strongly condemn attempts by certain media houses to malign civil society organisations and vilify A J Vijayan, who has been researching and writing on the eco-social impacts, the unscientific nature of the project and the contract irregularities. He has been doing so since the period of the environmental impact study during the UDF regime, which initiated the Adani port project with special interest. We believe it is essential to have independent research and scientific studies on the impact of the port on coastal communities, and any such studies should be encouraged.

“We urge the government to settle the Vizhinjam issue urgently by arriving at a reasonable and sustainable solution and defending the rights of fishing and coastal communities. 

The statement has been issued in the name of the Vizhinjam Struggle Solidarity Committee, Keralam Social Movements, Concerned Citizens Persons, Social Organizations

The signatories to the statement are: 

1. Aflatoon, Samajwadi Jan Parishad

2. Ammu Abraham, FAOW & PUCL Maharashtra (E.C.)

3. Anand Patwardhan, Film Maker

4. Anjali Bharadwaj, Collective Delhi

5. Arundhati Dhuru, National Convenor, National Alliance of Peoples Movements

6. Ashok Choudhary/ Roma , All India Union of Forest Working People

7. Avinash Kumar , Former Director, Amnesty International India.

8. Aysha, Right to Food Campaign

9. Chandana Pusapati, Dakshin Foundation

10. Delhi Solidarity Group

11. Devaki Jain, Economist, Writer

12. Dr. John Dayal, Writer, Human Rights Activist

13. Dr. Ram Puniyani, National Solidarity Forum

14. Dr. Suneelam Ex MLA

15. Dr. Syeda Hammed, Former Member Planning Commission

16. Evita Das – Pakistan India Peoples’ forum for peace and democracy

17. G Devarajan, Gen Sec All India Forward Bloc

18. Gabriele Dietrich Movement for Womrn’s Rightss

19. Geeta Seshu, Co-Editor, Free Speech Collective

20. Gutta Rohith, Human Rights Forum

21. Indian Social Action Forum – INSAF

22. Joy Sinha – COLLECTIVE Delhi

23. K Babu Rao, HRF, President, Hyderabad City

24. K P Sasi, Activist Film Maker

25. K. G. Jagadeesan trustee Centre Gandhi Smark Nidhi

26. K. J. Joy, Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India, Pune

27. K. Sajaya, Women & Transgender Orgs JAC, Hyderabad.

28. Kalyani Menon – Sen, Feminist researcher/activist

29. Krishnakant (NAPM, Gujarat)

30. Leena Dabiru, Anhad, Delhi

31. Madhu Bhushan, Women’s rights activist, Bangalore

32. Madhuri, Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan Madhya Pradesh

33. Medha Patkar, Narmada Bachavo Aandolan

34. Meera Sanghamitra (National Alliance of People’s Movements), NAPM

35. N.D.Pancholi, Citizens For Democracy, Delhi

36. Nityanand Jayaraman, Writer, Social Activist. Chennai Solidarity Group. Chennai

37. Pradip Chatterjee, National Convener, National Platform for Small Scale Fish

Workers

38. Priya Dharshini, Finanical Accountability Network India

39. Prof. S. P Udayakumar, Anti nuclear activist

40. Prof. Sandeep Pandey, Writer, Social Activist

41. Prafulla Samantara, Environmentalist, NAPM

42. Ranjit Sur, APDR

43. Sandeep Pandey Socialist Party (India)

44. Soumya Dutta, Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha

45. Subhash Lomte, Swaraj India

46. Tapas Das, National Convenior, Nodi Bachao Jibon Bachao Andalon

47. Vidya Dinker, President, INSAF

48. Vihaan Vee – Ambedkarite, Queer Feminist Activist

49. Xavier Dias, Editor, Khan Kaneej Aur ADHIKAR (Mines minerals & RIGHTS)

50. Yash, Let India Breathe

51. Yugma Collective

52. A Sunil Dharan, Motilal Nehru College (Delhi University)

53. A.Suneetha, Independent Researcher, Hyderabad

54. Alaka Basu, Researcher

55. Amod Shah, PhD Researcher

56. Asha Achy Joseph, Dean, SH School of Communication, SH College, Thevara, Kochi

57. Brinelle Dsouza, Chairperson, Centre for Health and Mental Health, TISS

58. Chhaya Datar Ex-professor of Women’s Studies in TISS

59. Devika, feminist scholar

60. Dr . K.P Rammohan, Economist

61. Dr. K. G. Tara, Former Head, Disaster Management Centre

62. Dr. Karuna DW,

63. Dr. Mary George, Economist

64. Dr. P. A. Azeez, Salim Ali Centre For Ornithology And Natural History

65. Dr. T. G. Jacob

66. Frans Manjali, Prof. Linguistics, JNU

67. Hariprasath R, Researcher

68. Jashodhara Dasgupta, Independent Researcher

69. Kochurani Abraham, feminist theologian, Kerala

70. M. Dasan, Dalit Thinker

71. Maggie Allessu, Vidhyadeep college, Gujarat

72. Nandita Narain, Associate Professor, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University College

73. Nivedita Menon, Professor JNU

74. Padma Velaskar ,Professor (Retd) TISS

75. Prof. Iris

76. Prof. Janaki abraham,

77. Prof. Kusum Joseph

78. Prof. Sanil V

79. Prof. Vida Sequeira (Retired)

80. Prof. Vindo Chandran

81. Rakhi Sehgal, Researcher, New Delhi

82. Rita Paes Retired Professor

83. Rohini Hensman, writer and researcher, Mumbai

84. Seethalakshmi, Independent Researcher and Activist

85. Shilpa Parthan, PhD student, University of Illinois Chicago

86. Shweta Wagh, Associate Professor, KRVIA. PhD researcher IIT Bombay

87. Soma K P, Independent researcher

88. Swati Birla, University of Massachusetts Amherst

89. Trisha Gupta, University of Oxford

90. Vineetha Venugopal, Researcher

Poets, writers and solidarity from Kerala Groups

91. B Rajeevan, Cultural critic

92. Binitha Thampi, Poet

93. C Radhakrishnan, Novelist

94. Damodar Prasad, Journalist

95. Dr. Ambikasuthan Mangad

Academicians / Writers

96. Fr. Jose Kaliekkal ,

97. Hameed Vaniyambalam, state president welfare party

98. Joseph Jude, Kerala Regional Latin Catholic Council (KRLCC) state vice-president

99. K Ajitha, Feminist activist, Anweshi

100. K. Sahadevan, writter

101. Kalpatta Narayan, writter

102. KG Sankarapilla (KGS), Poet

103. Kumar Kalanand Mani, Save the Western Ghats Movement

104. Kuripuzha Sreekumar, Poet

105. Pandavath Baburaj, Activist Film Maker

106. S Rajeevan, K Rail Virudha Jankeeya Samara Samiti

107. Sarath Cheloor, State Coordinator, NAPM- Keralam

108. Savithri Rajeevan, Poet

109. Sridhar Radhakrishnan , Kerala Paristhithi Aikya Vedhi

110. V Dinakaran , Akhila Kerala Dheevara Sabha

111. Vijayaraghavan Cheliya, State Convenor, NAPM Keralam

Solidarity from across the country

112. A.K. Shibu raj

113. Abha Bhaiya, Jagori Rural, HP

114. Adv K V. Bhadrakumari

115. Adv Pyoli Swatija

116. Adv. John Joseph

117. Adv. Joseph Paull

118. Adv. Vinod Payada

119. AK Jayasree

120. Alaka Basu

121. Allwyn Dsouza

122. Amit Singh

123. Amrita Shodhan

124. Anil E.P

125. Anita Cheria, Bangalore

126. Anitha Ruban

127. Anitha Shanti Treewalk

128. Anna SJC Social Activist.Karnataka

129. Annette Fernandes MBBS

130. Annie Director

131. Annie Jaise, Kerala

132. Anthony Dias

133. Anuradha Pati, Bangalore

134. Aparna, Social worker

135. Aruna Gnanadason, Chennai

136. Asha G, Trivandrum

137. Astrid Lobo, Mumbai

138. Fr. Baby Chalil

139. Balkis Bano, Trishur

140. Beatrice Joseph

141. Berguman Thomas

142. Bhubaneswar

143. Bittu K R, Karnataka Janashakti

144. Brinda Adige, Bengaluru

145. C.S. Murali shankar

146. Cecilia Crasta

147. Celine Paramundayil MMS, Kerala

148. Chakradhar, Samalochana

149. Clara Mendonca, social worker

150. Clare M. Therese, Chennai

151. clare muthukattol

152. Cynthia Stephen, Bangalore

153. Cyrilla Chakalakal Mumbai

154. Debaprasad Ray, Secretary, Lohia Academy, Bhubaneswar

155. Deejao Pathrose

156. Deepa V, Delhi

157. Devika, Advocate

158. Dorothy, Social Activist

159. Dr. C. Jayakumar, Thanal

160. Dr. C. Surendranath

161. Dr. E. Unnikrishnan

162. Dr. Joyce Kaithakottil, Activist for Justice

163. Dr. Mangesh Sawant Environmentalist

164. Dr. Mercy Thomas Facilitator Nirmal Jyothi ITI

165. Elizabeth Vadakekara MMS, Kochi, Kerala

166. Elsa Muttathu, Chenn

167. Flavia Agnes, Mumbai

168. Flory Menezes

169. Fr Benny, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

170. Fr Dr Jose D. Maliekal SDB, Telengana

171. Fr Joseph, Vicar, St Joseph Church Konoor Ekm Diocese

172. Fr Thomas

173. Fr Varghese Assin, Manager, St Francis Assisi School, Nedumbassery..

174. Fr. Agustine Vattoli

175. Fr. Deepak Anto

176. Fr. George Thenadikulam, Kerala

177. Fr. Kurian Kurisunkal, Mulanthuruthy

178. Fr. Lawrence

179. Francis Xavier, supporter

180. Freny Manecksha

181. General Secretary, AIFB Odisha , Bhubaneswar

182. George Mathew

183. Glavious Alexander

184. Gopinath Haritha

185. Govind Kelkar, GenDev, Gurgaon

186. Gracy Kallookulangara

187. Growth Watch

188. Hasina Khan, Bebaak Collective

189. Hazel D’Lima, CRI, ICWM

190. Hazel Lobo, Mumbai

191. Holiram Terang. Political activist.

192. Immaculate.F.

193. Indira Hirway, Centre for Development Alternatives,

194. Jabeena Irshad

195. Jacob Naluparayil, Kochi, Kerala

196. Jacqueline Rumao. Jeevan vidya.

197. Jaison Coopur

198. James Dayalaya

199. Janaki Nair, JNU

200. Jashodhara Dasgupta, Delhi

201. Jesmine Fernandes

202. Jessica Prakash-Richard, Chennai

203. Jessin SJC

204. Jessy Mole Sebastian, Changanacherry, Kerala

205. Jibin Robin

206. Jinu Sam Jacob

207. Joanna, Social Worker

208. John Dsouza, Mumbai , Documentalist

209. John Peruvanthanam

210. Johnson Puthenveettil, Director, KLCA, Alleppey Diocese

211. Jolly Chirayath

212. Jose Therattil

213. Joseph Kannamkulam

214. Joseph Maniangat

215. Joseph Victor Edwin, Delhi

216. Josephine Rozario

217. Joycia , New Delhi

218. Jubin Jacob, Kanjirappally, Kerala

219. Julia George, Adv, Mumbai

220. Jyoti Ranjan Mahapatra

221. K. Ajitha

222. K. C. Sreekumar

223. K. Ramachandran

224. K. Sahadevan

225. K.G. Jagadeeshan

226. K.M. Thomas

227. K.P. Sethunath

228. K.P.Thomas, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

229. Kalyani S.

230. Karavali Karnataka Janabhivriddhi Vedike.

231. KB Kannampilly

232. KCR Raja, New Delhi

233. KhalidaParveen

234. KM Sebastian, Eluru, A.P

235. Kochurani Abraham, Kanjirappally, Kerala

236. Kusum Tripathi

237. Lakshmi Lingam, Hyderabad

238. Lanusenla Bangalore

239. Leela Soloman

240. Leena Abraham, Mumbai

241. LEVIN

242. Lisa Pires, Goa

243. Lumina da Costa, citiizen of Indiaendorse

244. M D Varghese, a freelance Eco-Social Development Advisor

245. M. Dasan, Dalit Thinker

246. M. Sulfath

247. M.D. Alice, Kochi, Kerala

248. M.K. George

249. Madhuri Mondal, programme officer

250. Magdalene Almeida

251. Mahu Bhushan, Bangalore

252. Manju Kulapuram, Activist, Delhi

253. Manju Kulapuram, Delhi

254. Manoj Kedaram, Social Worker

255. Manu

256. Marcia DCunha ICWM Thane Maharashrea

257. Marcia DCunha, Mumbai

258. Mary Vaiphei, Assam

259. Mathew Sebastian

260. Mavis Russell, Gurgoan

261. Meera RGS, Mysore

262. Mekronyi-u Thele, Nagaland

263. Mercy Alexander

264. Merlyn Dsa, Mumbai

265. Metti Amirtham,Tindivanam, Tamil Nadu

266. Mini Bedi

267. Mirsad Rahman

268. Moksha Mary- Anmol NGO Co-ordinator

269. Monisha Behal, NEN

270. Ms. Vanitha D’Souza

271. Mujahid Nafees, Ahmedabad, Gujarat

272. Muralidharan K, political activist

273. Muthapan

274. N Sarojini, SAMA, Delhi

275. N. Subramanyan

276. Namrata Lunia

277. Nancy Vaz, Mumbai

278. Nancy Vaz, Mumbai

279. Nandita Gandhi, Akshara Centre, Mumbai

280. Naseer Syed, Bangalore

281. Neerja Rajeev Prasad. Nagpur

282. Nikita Naidu, Climate Action

283. Nirmala

284. Nita Arvind, Scrum Master

285. Niti Saxena, Lucknow

286. Noela J Dias

287. Noella de Souza, ICWM, IWTF, CRI.

288. Noella de Souza, Mumbai

289. Om Prakash Singh, Cuttack

290. P k Sasidharan

291. P.T. John

292. Padmaja Shaw

293. Paniyadima John

294. Philomena D’Souza, Satyashodhak, Mumbai

295. Philomena….Provincial

296. Prabhat Sharan, Journalist

297. Prajval Shastri, astrophysicist

298. Prasad Chacko, Social Worker, Ahmedabad

299. Preeti Mehra, independent journalist, New Delhi

300. Prema Chowallur SCC

301. Prerana Gawde, Senior Programme Associate

302. Promod Puzankara

303. Pushpa Parmar

304. Pyoli, Advocate

305. Raj Shekhar, Right to Food Campaign

306. Rajesh

307. Rajnish Gambhir All India Union of Forest Working People

308. Raju kalathil,Advocate

309. Ramnarayan, Independent Ecologist

310. Raynah Marise Braganza Passanha, Pune

311. Renita

312. Rev. Indira Paul, Chennai

313. Rev. Raju P George

314. Rita Manchanda, Independent Rights Consultant

315. Robert Joseph, Teacher

316. Robi Arayakkandy. CPI(ML).

317. Rohini, Writer

318. Rosalind Elaiyarani

319. Rosamma George

320. Rosamma Thomas

321. Rose Mary Tirkey ( Social Worker)

322. Roshmi Goswami, Shillong.

323. Runu Chakraborty

324. S. Rajeevan

325. Sabina Martins

326. Sachin Chavan,

327. Salahudheen Ayyoobi, Writer

328. Sandeep kaithamparambat, artist

329. Sandeep Ravindranath

330. Sandhya Balasubramanian, Member – Growthwatch India

331. Santana Pereira, Sahayini NGO

332. Santosh Sharma

333. Sarah Mathews. Managing Trustee, Sankalp Women’s Support Alliance

334. Sarath Keeraleeyam

335. Sarojini N, Public Health Practitioner

336. SAshalatha

337. Seema Bhaskaran

338. Shalini Gera, Advocate

339. Shalom Gauri, student

340. Sharad Lele, ATREE

341. Shivsunder

342. Shweta Tripathy, SRUTI, New Delhi

343. Sister Poonam cj.

344. Sr Aruna Castelino /Director of Auxilium Out Reach

345. Sr Maria Shirsath, Teacher