Fishworkers’ union counters Church’s stance on fisheries portfolio
The Latin Catholic Church's concerns regarding the fisheries portfolio have sparked a political debate, with the fishworkers' union accusing the Church of promoting a communal narrative. The union argues that fishing is a shared livelihood that transcends religious and caste divisions, and they reject calls for a separate department based on community lines. Meanwhile, the newly appointed Fisheries Minister has attempted to address the tensions through discussions with Church leaders, but the Church remains dissatisfied with the current representation in the portfolio.
- ▪The Latin Catholic Church has expressed dissatisfaction over the fisheries portfolio not being held by a representative from their community.
- ▪The CITU-affiliated Matsya Thozhilali Federation argues that fishing is a shared livelihood that includes people from various religions.
- ▪The newly sworn-in Fisheries Minister visited the Latin Archdiocese to discuss the concerns, but the Church feels the rift has not been fully resolved.
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The reservations expressed by the Latin Catholic Church over the allocation of the fisheries portfolio have escalated into a wider political debate, with the CITU-affiliated union of fishworkers openly accusing the Church of pushing a communal narrative.According to P.P. Chitharanjan, general secretary of the CITU-affiliated Matsya Thozhilali Federation, the growing focus on the Fisheries Minister’s community identity risks deepening fault lines within the coastal community. He questioned the relevance of such considerations in sectoral governance. “What matters is how they respond to the sector. Those who go to sea for fishing include Christians, Hindus, and Muslims. There are attempts to divide everything on the basis of religion, which is unacceptable.
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