Govt inaction irks missing fishermen’s kin

G Saravanan
Published : 09 Aug 2009


CHENNAI: The families of eight fishermen from Kasimedu in north Chennai, who went missing more than two months ago, were anxious and ang­ry over the State government’s lai­d back approach in tracing them.

While there have been reports that three of them landed in Bangladesh in the second week of July, credible confirmation from any source still eludes the family members from reaching any conclusion about their bread winners’ safety.

“I am convinced with the messa­ge that my husband is held somew­here in Bangladesh and now it is up to the State government to turn my trust into reality,” a visibly upset Vijayalakshmi, wife of missing fisherman Mahendran, told Express.

Eight Kasimedu fishermen — Mahendran (boat driver), Thangaraj, Desingh, Rajan, Alagiri, Nixon, Nithin alias Navis and Babu — left in a mechanised boat owned by R Vigneshwar­an on May 30 for deep sea fishing. The team was scheduled to be back by June 7, but did not return and their families started believing they went missing.

While the family members were losing hope, Balaji, son of the boat owner Vigneshwaran, received a call from his boat driver Mahendran from an undisclosed location in Bangladesh on July 12. He had informed him that three of the eight men (Thangaraj and Desingh) reached Bangladesh.

When Balaji tried to contact them in Mahendran’s mobile phone, there was no response from the other end. Though Mahendran and two others have been reported safe and alive in Bangladesh, the fate of the remaining five remains a mystery and their families would only get to know what had happened in high seas when the three return home. Like Vijayalakshmi, family members of the other two fishermen (reportedly in Bangladesh) and those whose breadwinners are still in the missing list, wanted the State to find them out.

Fully reciprocating the family members’ agony, Fisheries Minister K P P Samy said: “I understand their agonising wait. I took up the issue with the officials concerned and asked them to expedite their return from Bangladesh.”

Since it involves two countries, we have to adhere to certain formalities and steps are afoot to bring the three fishermen home within a fortnight, Samy added.