Police in India have clashed with residents of a largely-Christian fishing village protesting against a port redevelopment project, leaving more than 80 people injured.
Catholic priests led hundreds of demonstrators in a march against the $900-million Vizhinjam port project, which is being undertaken by India’s Adani Group.
But the protest in Kerala state turned violent and police fought locals in streets and police vehicles were attacked. A total of 46 protesters were hurt in the fighting along with 36 police officers.
According to Reuters new agency, the Christian fishermen are opposed to development by billionaire Gautam Adani, Asia’s wealthiest businessman and the third richest in the world, because it is causing coastal erosion and depriving them of their livelihoods.
Work on the project to build a lucrative west-facing port to rival those in Dubain, Singapore and Sri Lanka has been suspended for the last three months after protesters blocked an entrance to the site.
The company has argued that the port complies with all laws and has produced scientific evidence to demonstrate that the work is not to blame for coastal erosion.
A court ordered that work must resume and 600 police officers were deployed and they began to arrest protesters who were preventing it from going ahead.
According to police, violence erupted when the protesters “came with lethal weapons and barged into the station and held the police hostage, threatening that if people in custody were not released they would set the station on fire”.
Church officials say, however, that the police pelted the protesters with stones.
Afterwards, Hindu nationalists held a rally at the site, demanding that the Adani Group started work and dismissing the protests of local fishermen worried about its impact.
According to Asia News, the action was designed make the issue sectarian and comes after the Catholic Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram came out in support of local fishermen in the wake of last weekend’s protests.
According to a long-established practice by anti-Christian Hindu nationalists, social media are awash with stories about “foreign agents” opposed to the development of a new large-scale Indian port.
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.