Fishermen in Kerala village face heavy losses after MSC Elsa shipwreck, says study
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The MSC Elsa shipwreck off Kerala’s coast is costing each fishing family in a village about Rs 25,000 to 30,000 a month, according to a pilot study by an NGO into the incident that occurred in May this year.
The study by Greenpeace India also found that drifting containers and plastic nurdles from the wreck have damaged fishermen's nets, adding to their losses.
Activists from the NGO and representatives of the fishermen's association in Kerala released the report on Tuesday, after a survey in Karumkulam Panchayat, during a protest against the delay in compensation from the shipping company.
The Liberian-flagged container ship MSC Elsa 3 sank 14.6 nautical miles southwest of the Kochi coast on May 24.
Greenpeace activists conducted the pilot survey at Karumkulam Panchayat in Pulluvila, Thiruvananthapuram, to assess the average damage caused by the shipwreck in a fishing village. They estimated that the total loss in a single coastal village could be around Rs 54 lakh.
"You can imagine the overall loss across the coastal villages in Kerala following this shipwreck. The government has demanded Rs 9,531 crore in compensation from the shipping company, but in reality the total loss could be double that amount," said Jackson Pollayil, state president of the Fishermen’s Federation of Kerala, speaking to PTI Videos.
He added that the company had only agreed to pay Rs 132 crore as compensation for what he described as a "major disaster".
"We do not know how they calculated this figure. They have a moral responsibility to tell us what data they used to arrive at this conclusion,” Jackson said, pointing out that one coastal panchayat alone had suffered losses of Rs 54 lakh.
"This is not just about one village. It is an assessment of all coastal villages in Kerala badly affected by the shipwreck. We should not allow the MSC shipping company to exploit loopholes in the case," Amrurha S N, a climate campaigner with Greenpeace, told PTI Videos.
Greenpeace activists surveyed adults and children in Karumkulam Panchayat and found that the lives of fishermen --especially fisherwomen -- have deteriorated considerably since the disaster.
They are now being forced to look for alternative work, as fishing is no longer viable. Many young people said that since the Covid-19 pandemic, each fishing trip has cost them more in fuel, leaving them struggling to make ends meet.
"I cannot operate my boat because the pollution from plastic nurdles and drifting containers has damaged my nets. I am now working as a crew member on another fishing boat," said Densen, a 43-year-old fisherman.
The fishermen's associations said they would have no choice but to continue protesting if the government delayed compensation further.
"We hope the government will soon find a solution to our problems. If that does not happen, we have no option but to continue our protests," Jackson Pollayil said.
During their protest in front of the Secretariat, fishermen displayed their damaged nets and demanded swift action from the government to address the impact of the shipwreck.
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'Sarke Chunar' row: Sanjay Dutt apologises; to sponsor education of 50 tribal girls
New Delhi (PTI): Actor Sanjay Dutt on Monday appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) in connection with the controversy over the song 'Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke' and submitted a written apology, expressing regret for any "unintended" harm caused to society.
During the hearing, held under NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, the commission raised concerns over alleged vulgarity and indecent representation of women in the song from the movie "KD The Devil" and questioned issues of intent, awareness and accountability.
The chairperson emphasised whether adequate due diligence was undertaken before participating in content that could be perceived as promoting objectification of women, while also underlining the responsibility of senior and influential public figures in ensuring that their work remains within the bounds of legal and societal standards.
As a corrective measure, Dutt committed to sponsoring the education of 50 tribal girl children as part of efforts towards social welfare and women's empowerment, the NCW said in a statement.
He also assured the commission that his future artist agreements would include mandatory legal due diligence provisions to ensure dignified and appropriate representation of women and children in films and related creative projects.
Actor Nora Fatehi, who was also summoned, could not appear as she is currently abroad and has sought a fresh date for the hearing.
On April 6, other individuals associated with the song, including director Kiran Kumar alias Prem, lyricist Raqueeb Alam and representatives of KVN Production Company Gautam K M and Suprith, appeared before the commission and submitted their apologies.
The NCW underscored that while artistic freedom is important, it must be exercised with responsibility and sensitivity, reiterating the need for accountability in content reaching wide public audiences and reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding the dignity and representation of women.
The Hindi version of the song, released on March 15 on YouTube, drew public ire for its sexually explicit lyrics.
After the outrage, the makers deleted the Hindi version of the song from YouTube, although it was widely played and shared across various platforms.
Fatehi, in a video later, distanced herself from the song, saying she shot the video for the Kannada version and her permission was not taken to use it in the Hindi version. The lyricist, singer and the director also apologised.
The issue was brought up in Lok Sabha during Question Hour by Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Anand Bhadoria last month.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the song was already banned and the government was ready to take action against such vulgarity.
"KD The Devil" is a Kannada film, dubbed in four languages, including Hindi. It will release on April 30. The film features Dhruva Sarja, V Ravichandran, Ramesh Aravind, Shilpa Shetty, and Dutt.
