Before the port construction began, Vizhinjam was the largest and most important fishing village in Kerala. It was home to some 4,500 fishing families and several thousand boats
Of all the Indian states I know, Kerala has the most active civil society organisations that flourish independently of governments and political parties. These groups work in many spheres, including science, health, education, and — not least — environmental sustainability. The work of these groups is often enriched by the participation of scholars and scientists. This interaction between academics and the wider public is perhaps more engaged and constructive in Kerala than anywhere else in our Republic.
In the last thirty years, I have visited Kerala at least two dozen times, where, in public meetings on a range of themes, I have witnessed at first-hand the vigour and dynamism of the civil society space in the state. My most recent visit was last month, at the invitation of the Janakeeya Samara Samithi, an organisation representing the fisherfolk of the southern part of the state. The Samithi had been active for some years in opposing a massive port being built at Vizhinjam. The state government claims this port will be no less than “the Singapore of India”, bringing a surge of prosperity in its wake. The people of the region, however, have been decidedly sceptical of these claims, seeing it rather as a prime example of what is known as ‘destructive development’….
After the truth-shower 