Kerala: CM Vijayan Faces Ire As Cyclone Leaves 25 Dead, Not Allowed To Meet Kin Of Missing Fishermen

Kerala witnessed its first major cyclone in 60 years, and the state government was reportedly caught napping. With 25 dead fishermen dead and 95 still missing, Pinarayi Vijayan’s government has come under severe criticism from the fishermen community and the political opposition, reported Mint.

Following protests in the fishing villages and the community saying that the government did not issue an early warning, the state Congress and BJP are also taking the Vijayan government to task over its handling of the rescue efforts.

Many fishermen ventured out to the sea themselves in their boats, to look for the missing, as they were unhappy with the government’s search and rescue effort.

Vijayan’s visit to the epicentre of the protests, Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram, on Sunday (3 December), did not help either. His visit was reportedly scheduled in haste after the Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s visit on Monday was announced. Vijayan’s car was mobbed by protestors during the visit and he had to be whisked away to a colleague’s car. According to the Indian Express, enraged residents prevented him from visiting families of the missing fishermen.

As the state government struggles to answer the questions poor preparedness has raised, efforts to find the 96 fishermen are progressing on a war footing .At least 357 people have been rescued across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands by the joint operations of disaster management authorities and the respective state governments since the cyclone struck on 30 November.

Also Read: After The Cyclone: How The Disaster Management Authority Was Found Napping In Kerala