Over a week on, a Kerala mother’s agonising wait for her son who went missing at sea continues
“The government treats the lives of traditional fishers as expendable,” laments Reshma, who lost her father and husband in a fishing boat capsize on July 31 while her son has been missing
In Kerala, a mother named Reshma remains anxiously awaiting news of her missing son, Gautam, who went missing while fishing on July 31. Two days prior, her 76-year-old father, Rajeevan, and 48-year-old husband, Radhakrishnan, perished when their fishing boat capsized near Neendakara. The government's treatment of traditional fishers is deeply troubling to Reshma, who feels their lives are considered worthless.
Despite the disaster happening just meters from shore where a swift response could have saved lives, official intervention was slow and ineffective. Local fishers managed to rescue 11 crew members but the Coast Guard's premature arrival, seasickness, and limited fuel capacity of their helicopter severely hampered the search efforts.
Reshma's desperation led her to protest in front of the Coastal police station on August 6, demanding an intensified search and the deployment of the Navy. While her protest initially went unnoticed, media coverage eventually led to State machinery taking action. However, the lack of top State leadership response and the poor administration further traumatized Reshma.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
