Reaching out to fishermen community in the wake of havoc caused by cyclone Ochki, Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi today said his party would 'strongly' raise in Parliament the issue of setting up a separate ministry for them.
He stated this during a visit to Poonthura and Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, which bore the brunt of the cyclone.
In Kerala, he pitched for a better system of cyclone warning system to prevent loss of lives and also said his party would bring pressure on the state government to provide adequate compensation to the affected families.
The Congress leader, on his first visit to the south after being elected President of the party, interacted with the fishermen community and heard their grievances while assuring all possible help by his party.
"I think in this difficult time for fishermen it is important you have someone, an institution, a ministry, which looks after your interest so that you know whom to turn to in difficult times... We will raise the issue very strongly in Parliament," he said in Kanyakumari, bordering Kerala.
Cyclone Ochki battered Kanyakumari and Thiruvananthapuram districts on November 30, claiming more than 60 lives and leaving hundreds of fishermen missing.
Earlier, arriving in Thiruvananthapuram, Gandhi visited coastal Poonthura hamlet and later nearby Vizhinjam, which bore the brunt of the cyclone.
"It is very difficult for fishermen to make a living, It seems everything is lined against them," he said.
Gandhi wanted the central and state governments to learn lessons from the tragedy and put in place a better system of cyclone warning for the sea faring fishermen.
In Kerala, the death toll due to the cyclone stood at 66 with 95 persons still missing.
Congress party was committed to establishment of a ministry for fishermen at the national level, he said, as the gathering applauded and greeted his announcement.
The demand for separate ministry has been raised by the state's Latin catholic church to which most of the affected fishermen belong to.
"At the national level, the farmers have a ministry that looks after their interest and it is time that we create a ministry for the fishermen to look after their interest and make sure they are protected," he said.
During his interaction with the fishermen families, wailing women spoke to him about their difficulties and Gandhi assured all help.
Gandhi, who undertook the brief tour after hectic electioneering in Gujarat, apologised for not coming earlier though he wanted to and said the assembly polls in the western state had kept him occupied.
"When a tragedy happens, everyone must learn from the tragedy and avoid such a situation in future. We must have a better system of warning for the fishermen who are going to the sea," he said.
He said everyone expects the government to offer adequate compensation to the affected persons.
It was the duty of the Congress as the principal opposition in the state to put pressure on the government to get adequate relief for the fishermen families, he said in Vizhinjam.
He also paid floral tributes in front of the pictures of the men who had lost their lives.
Reaching out to the fishermen community, including weeping women who had gathered, Gandhi said 'What you have lost cannot be measured in terms of value and so My words cannot replace your loss."
In Kanyakumari, Gandhi said though his party was not in power in Tamil Nadu or at the Centre, it can, however, put a "lot of pressure" on the government.
"...we will do our duty, we will put a tremendous amount of pressure in Parliament and in Tamil Nadu and make sure you get justice," he said.
He noted that farmers of Kanyakumari district had also suffered losses in the cyclone and assured help in "whatever way we can".
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