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Today, I saw the land rights demands of the fishermen’s union before the parliamentary election, and it was a very happy moment for me because last year, I wrote articles pointing out the same issues and demands when the Kerala government planned the coastal highway and relocation of the fishermen community from the coast. I haven’t followed up or researched any of the other issues after publishing my articles last year. Because, when we come from a marginalized background, it is not easy to stay in the journalism field like the privileged, rich nibba& nibbies who stay and introduce it as their passion. Especially in English Journalism when your parents can’t even write their own name in their mother tongue and you studied in government schools.
Today I shared this happy news with my hostel mates – who are working in the government sector – but a discussion opened regarding whether the coastal highway is important or not.
I know talking to anyone about this issue is a waste of time when their first question is, ‘Why should marginalized communities not take compensation from the government and sacrifice their resources for the government?’ That’s why I prefer only discuss this issue with researchers, artists, or activists.
Otherwise, it is a headache to make these people understand how a government should implement its projects by taking marginalized communities’ resources. They don’t understand how it will practically unfold and how marginalized communities get kicked out from the compensation while corporates and political parties benefit by fooling the mainstream into believing that this is development. But I couldn’t tolerate the questions they asked – and easily portrayed – fishermen as anti-development. I fought with everyone who insulted my community and told them that the Kerala chief minister and all the politicians supporting these projects are supporting the interests of Adani (the corporation). All the people who believe that politicians are gods got sentimentally hurt. Then suddenly, the atmosphere changed; everyone teamed up and together they insulted my community’s marginalization, suggesting we don’t have the knowledge to understand this project.
I was really surprised – I have a post-graduation from a central university in Mass Communication. I’ve already researched this project and written articles about it. And these people from the mainstream, who don’t have qualifications or experience like me, are trolling me and my community, suggesting it is difficult to make us understand and we lack sufficient knowledge. Isn’t this rejection a form of discrimination or hegemonic oppression?
People think they will benefit from this project hypothetically, then criticize the marginalized community members who are pointing out the problems of the project implementation. It’s a simple, cowardly thing – criticizing weak people and echoing mainstream statements – especially when the project has nothing to do with their own lives.
Articles I wrote about these issue:
3) https://bit.ly/3q6x0g3?utm_medium=social&utm_source=heylink.me