Agartala, July 24, 2025: The Tripura Fishermen’s Union staged a significant protest rally on Thursday pressing for a 13-point charter of demands aimed at safeguarding the interests of the fishing community. The rally began at Paradise Chowmuhani, wound through key parts of Agartala before being stopped at the Circuit House area, where a public meeting was held. A five-member delegation later proceeded to Raj Bhavan and submitted the memorandum to the Governor.
Senior Left leaders including former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, Leader of the Opposition and CPI(M) Politburo member Jitendra Chaudhury, Scheduled Castes Coordination Committee State Secretary Sudhan Das, and former Minister Ratan Bhowmik were present in solidarity with the fishermen.
Addressing the gathering, former CM Manik Sarkar highlighted the relevance of the demands. “These 13 points reflect the genuine concerns of the fishermen. During the Left regime, we prioritized inland fish production by utilizing water bodies across the state. This not only enhanced self-reliance but also provided sustainable livelihoods to thousands of fish farmers,” he said.
Sarkar criticized the current state government, alleging it has allowed privatization in the fisheries sector. “Now, fish farmers are struggling. The government has withdrawn support, favoring private players over cooperatives,” he stated.
Echoing these concerns, Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury said, “Government-owned water bodies, including the Dambur reservoir, were once accessible to fishery cooperatives. Today, all such progressive initiatives are being dismantled. Cooperatives are powerless, and private entities are being handed control.”
Scheduled Castes Coordination Committee State Secretary Sudhan Das further alleged that both the central and state governments were neglecting the needs of over two crore fishermen across the country. “Foreign fish exporters are being favoured while domestic fishermen are pushed into crisis. This is economic violence against the poor,” Das remarked.
Das also warned against plans to privatize Rudrasagar Lake, following the alleged handover of Dambur reservoir to private companies. “Privatization of state water bodies is an attack on the livelihood of marginalized communities,” he said, calling the move “anti-people” and “exploitative.”
The 13-point memorandum reportedly includes demands such as: Restoration of access to government water bodies for cooperative fishers, a halt to the privatization of major reservoirs, implementation of pending welfare schemes for fishermen, control of rising prices of essentials, restoration of services for 10,323 terminated teachers, and addressing issues related to power supply and rural development.
The peaceful march culminated with the submission of the memorandum at Raj Bhavan. Leaders expressed hope that the Governor would intervene to protect the interests of the state’s fishing communities.
