Rahul lends an ear to fishermen

NT NETWORK

Margao

Senior Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday met traditional fishermen at Velsao and interacted with them to understand and address their concerns.

Stating that the Congress party will not allow Goa to turn into a coal hub, Gandhi assured to continue holding talks with stakeholders in the state so as to reflect their issues in the election manifesto of the party for the upcoming state assembly elections, scheduled to be held early next year.

After landing in Goa in the morning, Gandhi was welcomed at the Velsao beach by traditional fishermen from across South Goa’s coastal villages from Cansaulim to Cavelossim. The fishermen took the opportunity to inform the leader of their concerns, which included bull-trawling, sea erosion, rising prices of fuel and the three linear projects including railway double-tracking, which is affecting them.

After listening patiently to the crowd’s issues, Gandhi said it was the government’s duty to ensure people were given their rights. “It is the role of the government to defend the rights of the local people. Clean environment is your right and it is the duty of the government to protect it. You struggle to go out in the sea because of the rising petrol prices and it is the duty of the government to protect you. I value your thoughts and the election manifesto will be prepared taking into consideration all your inputs and we will do it in a transparent, open manner,” he said.

“We have understood the issues, especially those of coal and railway double-tracking and we are going to make sure that the environment is protected and that Goa doesn’t become a coal hub. There needs to be a balance that needs to be maintained and it has to be in favour of Goa, especially those belonging to smaller communities like the fishermen,” said Gandhi.

During the interaction, several fishermen raised the issue of bull-trawling and its effect on the fish catch in recent years. “Today bull trawlers and speedboat fishing by neighbouring states is finishing all the fish in the sea and we traditional fishermen are left with no fish to catch. If we use petrol worth Rs 3,000 in our boats, we don’t even get a catch worth Rs 2,000. How can we survive like this?” questioned traditional fisherman Agnelo Rodrigues.

Benaulim fisherman Pele Fernandes, meanwhile, pointed to the recent incident wherein fishing boats from Malpem that were engaged in bull-trawling were caught. He, however, said the state government departments including the fisheries and coastal police were not well-equipped to catch those who are involved in such illegalities.

Speaking against the Bharatiya Janata Party, Gandhi said, “Congress believes in unity of all people to move forward. For us, every Indian has the right to be given the space they require. Our response to their hatred is love and affection. Where they spread hate, we spread love.”

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