Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar expressed strong anger when he learnt this morning that fishing and fish-trading activities at Mangaluru fishing harbour had been stopped ahead of his visit.
A surprise early-morning visit to the harbour was made by the Chief Minister to the Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner and other officials, and it was a decision to stop business. The shutdown was done as part of the Chief Minister’s visit, he said, but he was curious about who issued the instructions.
Shivakumar stated he had not instructed anyone to stop the regular activities at the harbour. He questioned the officials who had ordered the closure of the fish trade. He questioned the need for such security-related restrictions when his purpose was to directly observe the fishing activities and understand the difficulties faced by fishermen and traders. “What should not happen if he was visiting the area (for his own work),” said the Chief Minister.
Shivakumar asked officials to identify the person who ordered the shutdown and said disciplinary action should be taken if an official had issued such instructions without authorisation. TV9 Kannada reported that the Chief Minister directed officials to take action, including suspension of those responsible for closing the harbour. The Chief Minister also sought an inquiry from the Deputy Commissioner and Police Commissioner into the circumstances surrounding the disruption.
The Chief Minister’s visit was to get a first-hand view of the issues Mangaluru’s fishing community was experiencing. Shivakumar walked through the harbour to see how fresh fish and fishing boats were coming in and to talk to fishermen, traders and workers. He listened to their complaints and tried to get a view of the harbour, the jetties and fish market, and he wanted to know how fish are caught and sold, so he’s interested in how fish are caught and sold and then work with them to find permanent solutions.
The disruption was particularly significant in that many workers at the harbour depend on fishing and fish trading for their daily livelihood. Shivakumar told fishing people that his regular activities would not be affected by having a VIP visit. Daijiworld reported that many local workers and people from other states depend on fishing completely for their livelihood and that their daily lives should not be interrupted.
On the day the Karnataka Cabinet met in Mangaluru, the government’s coastal development and fisheries sector decisions were discussed. Shivakumar also spoke about expanding Karnataka’s maritime and fishing economy in his visit to the harbour. He said the government is working towards building a wider ecosystem connected to the blue economy, including maritime education and infrastructure development.
Shivakumar’s reaction to the temporary shutdown has now attracted attention because the Chief Minister himself asked why fishing activities were stopped when he had come to monitor the harbour operation. His directive for an investigation will be to establish who ordered the closure and whether officials made the decision for the reason as part of security measures for his visit.
This episode also showed a need to ensure that administrative and security measures for VIP visits do not adversely affect the livelihoods of workers and traders as a result.
