Fishermen, farmers, vendors to hold rally on Nov 21

Mangalore, Oct 17 (UNI) To press the demands of fishermen, farmers and vendors, a rally will be held here on November 21, World Forum of Fisher People (WFFP) President Thomas Kocherry said today.

Addressing a press conference here, he said over 50,000 people would participate in the rally, to be addressed by leaders like Narmada Bachao Andholan leader Medha Patkar.

Various organisations of the three communities have given a month's time to the State Government to fulfill its four main demands of the total 26 demands -- dredging and cleaning all the 15 fishing harbours along the Karnataka coast, making the most damaged NH-17 into a motorable road, allotment of sites in the city to vendors who have been shifted to slum areas and suitable ratification of the Swaminathan Expert Committee report on the Coastal Regulatory Zone notification of 1991. If the Government failed to fulfill the four demands, farmers, fishermen and vendors would resort to indefinite road and harbour blockade from November 21 from Karwar to Mangalore, he warned.

UNI MA GD SKB1936