Thiruvananthapuram: Latin Catholic Archbishop M. Soosapakiam has said that the victims of Ockhi disaster were not waiting for petty doles and wanted long-term plans for their rehabilitation.
He was delivering the presidential address at the 31st general assembly of the Kerala Regional Latin Catholic Council (KRLCC) here on Saturday.
"Though the plight of the victims is featured in news reports and in public debates for sometime after the disaster, later they are forgotten. The reason for the Ockhi disaster was the indifferent attitude of the authorities who failed to give timely warning," he said.
Union Minister for State for Tourism Alphons Kannanthanam, who inaugurated the assembly, said that the government and the Church should work together to ensure a decent life to the fisher folks.
"There are several educational institutions for the Church. Steps should be taken to ensure diversification of the courses at such institutions for the benefit of the fisherfolks. They should be equipped to dream big as a society. The initiative should begin at home. They should ask for their rights. There is no point in criticising the failures of the past. The real challenge is to be equipped to face such issues in the future," said Mr Kannanthanam.
