Dear
friends,
I wish to
report a tragic incident which is the direct outcome
of an apathetic and inefficient government
which does not protect the interests of the local
fishermen.
Background
:
Chilika lake ( the largest brackish water lake in Asia
and a Ramsar site) has become one vast prawn farm in
the state and one can say has achieved the dubious
distinction of being the largest illegal aquaculture
complex in the world. Vast portions of the lake
close to the shore which is the breeding ground of
shrimp,crabs and fish has been converted into prawn
farms and this has affected the survival of the local
fishing community who have started starving. The yield
of fish catch from the lake as per official
statistics has fallen drastically by more than 50 per
cent in recent years.
A number
of court orders both by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of
India and the Hon'ble High Court have been
proclaimed for the immediate demolition of prawn farms
in Chilika. An insouciant administration overawed by
the powerful prawn farm owners never heeded the
greviances of the local people or the court orders.
Due to the apathetic attidude of the local
administration who dare not take action against the
prawn farms ( owned mainly by politicians, senior
bureaucrats , rich businessmen with political links )
the prawn farms flourished. Driven by the pangs of
hunger, the traditional fishermen had undertaken a
clearing action in April, when many prawn farms were
demolished. They had halted their work when the
administration promised to clear up the farms within a
fortnight. However, nothing was done.
Tragic
Incident leading to 3 persons being killed :
A tragic
incident took place in the early hours of Sunday, 30th
May,1999 at village Sorana on the shores of Chilka
lake .Three traditional fishermen were killed brutally
by police firing when they opposed the arrest of their
leaders who have been in the forefront of the
demolition of illegal aquaculture farms in Chilka
lake. On the 27th of May, the local fishermen's
association Chilika Matsyajibi Mahasangha had
given the state administration 24 hours time to
commence demolition of the gherries.Nothing was done
till the night of 28th May when the deadline expired.
On 29th May morning more than 5,000 fishermen
from nearly 145 fishing villages which border the
lake, as per their much announced previous plan of
action sailed forth in about 800 country fishing boats
and started demolishing the gherries. Everything was
going on smoothly without much opposition from any
quarters. They had reclaimed nearly 3,000 acres
of Chilka lake waters and were resting for the night
at their village Sorona when police arrived to arrest
their leaders. This infuriated them and they refused
to hand over their leaders. Some stone throwing took
place and ultimately the police fired upon the unarmed
group and killed three fishermen . Another 14
fishermen are seriously injured and are undergoing
treatment in hospitals.
Chilika
lake is a fragile eco system of about 900 sq.kms and
can never withstand any artificial prawn farms .
further, it is of much wildlife interest since more
than 10,00,000 migratory birds visit the lake every
winter. Dolphins also frequent the lake and these
prawn farms are encroaching upon and polluting this
important wildlife habitat .It is vital that they are
removed.
If
governments do not take action inspite of
genuine people's greviances and clear unambiguous
court orders, what recourse shall be left to the
people.Popular perception is that we should not take
the law into our hands. However, in this case the
pangs of hunger and deprivation for a unjustifiable
reason which is totally illegal has obviously forced
the local people to become the law enforcers
too! Unfortunately, some of them had to become martyrs
for the cause .
My
Request:
This above issue is something where both people's
interests and wildlife interests merge and are at
stake due to the illegal prawn farms.I request you to
give sufficient publicity to the issue so that the
world community is made aware of how an indigenous
fishing community numbering nearly 80,000 people of
Chilika lake and its endangered birds and
dolphins , are on the march to extinction due to
unabated illegal prawn farming. Let the world know too
how the state government of Orissa tacitly supports
the rich and powerful prawn farmers of Chilika lake
and crushes genuine people's movements undertaken
after sufficient notice and warnings, by the use of
brutal force.
Sincerely
yours,
Biswajit Mohanty,
Wildlife Society of Orissa
