Kollam, 10 August (H.S.): Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Monday said he saw nothing wrong in the daughter of a fisherman missing at sea off Vizhinjam criticising him and the State government, saying the family’s anger and anguish were understandable.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the family of Gautham Krishna, who went missing at sea off Neendakara, Satheesan said families dealing with the disappearance of a loved one had every right to express their frustration against the government. Minister Shibu Baby John accompanied him during the visit.
The Chief Minister’s remarks came in response to criticism levelled against him by the daughter of John, a fisherman who went missing in the sea off Vizhinjam.
Satheesan said the government should understand the emotions of families in such circumstances rather than view their criticism as hostility. Anger, anguish and protests were natural when a family member went missing, and such feelings would inevitably be directed towards the administration, he said.
As Chief Minister, he represented the government and should therefore be prepared to face such criticism, Satheesan added.
Turning to the ongoing search operations, the Chief Minister said the government had done everything possible so far but acknowledged that more needed to be done. The situation was being reviewed every two to three hours, and all available measures would be taken to trace those missing at sea.
Satheesan also announced that the government would formulate a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for search and rescue operations involving fishermen who go missing at sea.
Fishermen would be directly involved in preparing the SOP, allowing the government to draw on their practical knowledge and experience of the sea.
The proposed protocol would seek to improve coordination during maritime emergencies and ensure that government agencies and fishing communities can work together more effectively in future search and rescue operations.
---------------
Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman