Thiruvananthapuram: People pitch in to conduct fisher's daughter wedding

Thiruvananthapuram: People from different walks of life are coming together trying to put together a Christmas wedding at Kochuveli.

For, the father of the bride is no ordinary man. He is a fisherman from Thiruvananthapuram who has saved a number of lives in Pathanamthitta during the August floods.

His family doesn’t wish that they be named. His wife told us that he had saved 270 lives. Among these were doctors, pregnant women and two children stranded at a school. Of the few who have promised to help, one has offered the money they saved for their daughter's wedding.

He is one of the many fisher rescuers, who have been struggling after the floods. The government had taken a long time in releasing money to...

Thiruvananthapuram... repair the boat damaged during the floods. He had to continue fire-fighting after he returned with chickenpox, a skin allergy and a damaged boat.

There are many who are yet to receive the promised money for engine repair. O. Antony, a fisherman from Vizhinjam, says that his brother has not received any money though they had submitted all the bills. “Barring a few fishermen, no one who went for rescue, has got the money for their boat repair,” he says.

Many had to borrow money to repair the boats. Their involvement in the floods continues to affect them.

When DC asked Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma whether the government will be able to put together a package for the fisher rescuers, she said, “the government is cash-strapped and hasn’t been able to rehabilitate every person affected by the floods. So, we won’t be able to have a separate project for the rescuers,” she said.

Fishermen also complain of damage which goes unnoticed by the mechanic the first time. The floods were an unusual event when seamen had to ply through urban roads in their vehicles. Some of the damage would be internal and might be missed by the mechanic.

The fisherman father had to spend Rs 11,000 last week as well, though earlier they had repaired and claimed Rs 10,000 from the government. When DC asked Matsyafed chairman P.P. Chitharanjan if they would sustain support to the fish rescuers, he said, “the boats which have been repaired will not need any more repair. They are exaggerating it.” Now, it is up to the civic society to support the fishermen.