Kerala CM, ministers visit coastal families after 11 days of search

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 10 (IANS) Eleven days after three fishermen went missing off Kerala’s coast, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and two ministers visited their grieving families on Monday.

Gautham Krishnan, Shijin and John Mathias disappeared in separate incidents off Neendakara, Muthalapozhi and Vizhinjam. Their families have waited without answers, demanding that the search not stop.

Satheesan met Gautham’s family at Neendakara, while Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and Fisheries Minister Abdul Gafoor visited the families of John and Shijin. The visits came after mounting protests along the coast over what residents described as delayed and inadequate search efforts.

Gautham’s mother, Reshma, has begun a hunger strike demanding a more intensive search. Families have called for the deployment of every available agency and modern technology to locate the missing men.

The search has now been expanded. The Navy’s INS Kalpeni is operating in Vizhinjam and Muthalapozhi, while the Coast Guard continues the search off Neendakara. Screening and scuba teams are also involved.

Satheesan denied any delay in rescue operations and promised strengthened facilities. He said all agencies were being coordinated and that the government would provide every possible assistance. The government also promised to revise fishermen’s insurance rules and take up sea wall construction urgently.

At Vizhinjam, John’s family demanded accountability and sought an apology from the Chief Minister over his earlier remarks about the absence of political leaders from the coast. Satheesan said he understood the emotions behind the demand, adding that protests against the administration were natural.

For the families, politics remains secondary. Eleven days have passed, and they are still waiting for news, sighting, a phone call, or a boat returning through the waves. The sea has remained silent.

–IANS

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