FATHIMAPURAM - FORGOTTON PAINS AND PANGS

One afternoon four of us sitting on chairs within the feebly fenced 4 feet high compound
made of wooden reapers around our house at Marianad, we were discussing, as usual,
about many things connected to our work and the developments in the Diocese with
Bishop Peter Bernard Pereira. Bishop Pereira was the first native bishop of Trivandrum
Diocese, who founded Marianad out of barren land as a model village and Community
Development Project (MCDP) to experiment the possibilities of improving the living
conditions of the traditional fisher folks, who formed majority in his Diocese. The
objective was to extend the lessons learned for a wider development work in his Diocese
and elsewhere. Bishop Pereira used to visit us whenever he had important visitors
interested in development to visit Marianad and on rare occasions, whenever he wanted
to take couple of hours away from his regular work to visit us on the way after inspecting
his Menamkulam and Vettuthura properties. He used to come in a 4Weeler Jeep,
sometime himself driving even though he would have his driver with him. That afternoon
discussion touched on some sad events in his official life as a Bishop connected to
Fathimapuram village, which is located 5 KMs South of Mariand on the outskirts of St.
Andrews Parish boundary. We found him bit emotional while explaining about a recent
event wherein a coastal parish, St. Andrews Parish, in his Diocese denied cemetery space
for a person from Fathimapuram village in spite of his direction to be buried in the local
St. Andrews cemetery. Finally, after waiting for a long time, the frustrated relatives had to
take the dead body to 50 Kilometres South to Karumkulam, to be buried. While talking to
us about it, we found his voice changing, pausing for a while, removing his spectacles
and cleaning his eyes with his kerchief.
Fathimapuram village 20 Km North of Trivandrum City, is a newly created settlement,
located on the banks of Parvathiputhanar canal connecting Trivandrum and Quilon. For
fishing reasons, active fishermen migrate to other less congested and new fishing areas
during off season and when they find fishing in their village less economical. In 1960,
Bishop Pereira started Trivandrum Social Service Society (TSSS), the first Diocesan
Social Service Society in India, through which he initiated number of cooperative fishing
and marketing attempts in different coastal villages and encouraged fishing families from
the overcrowded fishing villages to migrate and settle down in Marianad, where they
were provided with Cooperative housing and possibilities of socio-economic and
community development. The author of this article worked as a social worker in
Marianad under TSSS from 1969 for two decades and a third decade through other
NGOS in India and Sri Lanka. Some of the fishermen families thus migrated from the
overcrowded villages made huts on the seashore of St. Andrews and started fishing.
However they kept their ties and were visiting their native villages for social and
religious purposes particularly visiting en-mass during important religious festivities. On
one such occasion when they returned after attending the annual festival of their Parish
Saint, they found all their huts were destroyed deliberatively and thrown into the sea.
When they tried to reconstruct, they were prevented to do so and further they were also
prevented using St. Andrews beach. Couple of nights sleeping on the available open
space; it came to the notice of local politicians. Seeing the plight of the landless and

houseless fishermen and their families including children, the local Marxist Communist
Party workers headed by their leader Mr. Ravi, the then President of Kadinamkulam
Panchayat, helped them to put up their huts on the banks of the canal, which is a
unassignable government land and situated one Kilometre away from the sea shore. The
political party also intervened and made a settlement to allow the fishermen to use a
narrow pathway to the seashore between St. Andrews and Puthenthope, neighbouring
village only to use for the purpose of entering the sea. They were also denied of
keeping their fishing equipments on the sea shore, whereby they had no control of the
seashore, where the fisher folk generally live and keep their implements and do their
fishing related work. The situation left the fishermen completely vulnerable to the sharks
on land, which is more dangerous than those at sea. The new settlement on the banks of
the canal - they called as Fathimapuram, with a religious connotation. As fishermen
generally find collective psychological security in having their own Church and since
they were prevented from entering in the local St. Andrews Church, they requested
Bishop Pereira to help them with a priest for their Sunday services for which Bishop also
helped them to have a temporary small place of worship. Priestly services were provided
from the nearby St. Xaviers College. Having own worshiping place and a priest provided
fishermen without any assets a big moral strength to continue with their life. Fishermen
compensate their poverty by adding grandeur and wealth to their Church in which they
find pride.
Even before the discussion with Bishop Pereira in question, as social workers, we were
aware and have had personal experience about the existence of caste in the form of class
differentiation and consequent discrimination within the coastal population. But that day
Bishop Pereira explaining about it and admitting its active operation among the Catholic
fishermen of his Diocese and his helplessness saddened us as well as made us angry.
According to him the people of St. Andrews are also from the fishing community, but
some of them had the privilege of working in distant towns and different countries,
thereby felt that they were a privileged set of people, and hence developed a caste
discriminatory type of attitude towards other fisher folks, particularly the migrant
traditional fisher folk. After Bishop left, we, Ms. Lauretta Farina, originally from Italy
and a trained Medical person who came to work in Trivandrum Diocese and Marianad in
1961 as a member of a lay congregation called Catholic Feminine Auxiliaries (AFI) with
HQ in Brussels, on the invitation of Bishop Pereira to work among his fishing stock and
Ms. Nalini Nayak from Bangalore who joined the Marianad Team in 1966, soon after her
University studies and myself, the first Team member from the fishing stock joined in the
beginning of 1999, who were the then Marianad team members, felt so shocked to see the
active practice of discrimination and exclusion even within the same Catholic rite. Our
shock further grew after seeing Bishop Pereira emotional. My traditional fishing family
background triggered the anger within me against this injustice and it grew further deep
in my mind.
During our next Team Meeting, we decided to help the Fathimapuram fishermen by
extending our work. More or less at this juncture Fr. Mathew Nambiaparampil S.J., who
was one among the priests from Xaviers College, which is also situated in St. Andrews at
the outskirts of Fathimapuram, visiting Marianad every Sunday expressed his desire to

do something in Fathimapuram. This led to engage the first Community Organiser, Mr.
Peter John Culas, my younger brother, to work in Fathimapuram employed by Fr.
Mathew. He worked there for some months living in a rented house in St. Dominic
Vettucaud. While helping Fathimapuram fishermen to carry their catch through the
narrow lane, he was interrupted by some local anti-social elements who prevented him
and beaten. With this St. Xaviers College supporting Community Organisers also
stopped. Later through Marianad C.D.P. and its other different off shoot outfits, we
continued to help organise the fishermen at Fathimapuram against the discrimination and
subsequent economic and social exploitation. (Other community organisers, followed
were Mr. David, Jones, Johnson, Eugene Herbert, Stella, Andrews, Mary Dass, Kennedy,
Johnson, Daisy etc.). These community organisers helped to start and develop a
fishermen marketing Co-op in similar lines of that of Marianad Coop. Through their
marketing coop they availed bank loans, started acquiring their own fishing implements
thereby showed signs of improving their living conditions. However they were still under
the clutches of sharks on land and still under their mercy. They witnessed silently their
catches forcefully taken away for no reason by anti-social elements with the tacit support
of the local community which has imposed restrictions on their fishing and daily life,
their nets bought with bank loans destroyed on the sea shore in their absence when they
were in their homes, far away from the sea shore and not allowed to lead a normal life in
their own country amongst their own fishing stock.
The cooperative spirit that was developing enabled the Fathimapuram people to have
serious discussions on the implications of their future without having any proper access
and control on the seashore. At the end, they decided to exert their citizens rights and to
put up huts on the sea shore, a public place normally used by fishermen for fishing
related activities and for housing purposes. They sought cooperation from Marianad
fishermen who also extended their support. After much planning, they collected coconut
leaves, bamboos and other temporary building materials and built their houses on the
midnight of 14th August 1984 to declare their freedom on 15th August, the countrys
Independence Day, a symbolic and meaningful gesture.
Constructing, the huts at midnight on the sea shore without the waking up of the locals
from their midnight slumber was not any easy task. The insulated and closed bodied fish
van of Marianad Fishing Cooperative Society (MMUCS) brought the building materials.
The team consisting fishermen and labourers were busy engaged in the construction.
Some of them were to be on the look out for any possible leak of information or any
counter actions. But soon found that none of them was reporting back. As a result,
individuals from the spot, were sent out one after another to find out and report if
something was happening outside, but soon we realised that none of them were returning.
The number of people working diminished. However the work continued. Some
individuals of the local villages saw the hectic activities taking place in the thick of the
midnight on their shores. They alerted their leaders and the people of the neighbouring
villages. Within no time the Church bells started ringing informing unexpected calamity
for their Parish and asking people to assemble. Needless to say that within no time people
in hundreds from three surrounding parishes, a big hostile mob assembled with sticks and
batons etc. They marched towards the huts and started beating all those whom they could

find say about 15 - 20 of us. Seeing a big crowd approaching us, some, who were with
us, started jumping into the sea. Others who were left including Mr. Xavier Culas (he is
the present Chair of CECT) and Mr. Pauline of Marianad and me received heavy
beatings. Providentially, by this time I heard a familiar voice from the crowd and
identified one of the local political leaders from Puthenthope, Mr. Mousolini, who was
known to me and a personal friend of mine. A few years back when we were travelling
together on my motor bike in Trivandrum, both of us met with a road accident and were
taken to the nearby Medical College Hospital. Realising that I was in the group and as he
found me in real danger, he came out from the crowd, held us with his arms around us,
led us away and told us the seriousness of the situation and to save ourselves from the
scene in no time. That is yet another occasion I personally experienced the presence of
God through fellow beings.
As soon as we reached the main road, we walked away, we deliberately avoided running,
through those who were running towards us towards the beach. We, escorted by Eugine
Herbert, went to the neighbouring village Menamkulam, beyond Fathimapuram into his
house. Eugeine Herbert was one of our colleagues, who have also worked as our
Community Oorganiser in Fathimapuram. We were taken that night by him to another
house in a distant place, where I lived underground for almost a week. Meanwhile,
making use of the connection with some fellow judicial officers of my brother, who was
the first Community Organiser in Fathimapuram and at that time an Inspector in the
Excise, I was produced before the Magistrate in his house and obtained bail. Later I was
told that at the instigation of some local politicians who had direct contact with the then
Home Minister Mr. Vayalar Ravi and also because the night was leading to the
Independence Day, in the thick of midnight itself a large contingent of police had arrived
at the scene looking for us. Early morning they went and searched for me in Marianad
and arrested some of the fishermen, who were active members of Marianad community. I
also heard that Mr. Oliver from Marianad, who took no part in the attempted hut
construction was picked up from his house and taken to the Police Station and badly
beaten. Mr. Vijayan who was driving the Marianad fish van also was taken to custody and
later released.
Later, after a few weeks, having realised the real reason behind the attempted hut
construction on the sea shore, which is public property, some friendly police officials and
other sympathisers advised us to purchase some land for housing the Fathimapuram
people. Although this was not a new idea, it was an impracticable one as all the local
parishes around Fathimapuram have already proclaimed their unwritten law not to sell
any land to the Fathimapuram fishermen families even though the later may have means
for it. If anyone from the three nearby and surrounding Parishes of Fathimapuram ie. St.
Andrews, Puthenthope and St. Dominic Vettucaud - sell land to them will be
excommunicated that was the unwritten law of the Parishes. In this predicament, Mr.
Joyachan Antony, who was the President of the District Fishermen Union and a native of
one of the nearby coastal villages, Thumba, volunteered to buy the land in his name
provided we raise the necessary cost. We promised to raise the required money and Mr.
Joyachan Antony found Mr. Lazer Silva wanting to sell about two acres of his land and
building on Puthenthope coast. As both of them knew each other very well and worked

earlier in the same political party, Mr. Lazer Silva agreed to sell his property for a very
unreasonably high price. We raised the Advance money and an Agreement for Sale
reached between the two.
As the sale of land had been announced earlier, within a few weeks, Mr. Lazer Silva had
to disclose about the Agreement for sale to Mr. Joyachan Antony about whom others in
Puthenthope had doubts of his intention to settle the fishermen from Fathimapuram.
Hence Puthenthope church leaders demanded Mr. Lazer Silva to withdraw from the sale
of land to Joyachan Antony and threatened with the consequence of ex-communication.
Mr. Silva informed this to Mr. J. Antony and requested him to withdraw from the attempt
as a friend. Mr. Joyachan Antony refused. Mr. Silva who wanted to avoid an
excommunication action against him and his family reported the matter to the
Puthenthope Parish. On this, we were told that later the Puthenthope Parish under the
leadership of its Parish Priest - Fr. Stephen Mathessery, had held a special One Hour
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for the sole purpose of praying for the change of
heart of the person Joyachan Antony, who was going to purchase the land for
Fathimapuram fishermen. Upon this, we were told that Puthenthope Parish, in which
most of its members are absent economic migrants in many foreign countries, also
contacted the Home Minister of the State to intervene. It was beyond his legal purview to
stop the sale. However, he assured that if that land was purchased for the housing purpose
of the fishermen of Fathimapuram, against the wishes of Puthenthope Parish, the Minister
would help the Puthenthope people by not providing protection for enjoying the land.
This again put us into further difficulties and complications as even after raising a huge
amount and purchasing the land it would not be available for the purpose for which this
was bought. Further, the land would be illegally encroached. Needless to say the situation
in which we were caught it was like between the devil and the deep sea. My be
Puthenthope peoples prayers were answered, final wisdom prevailed to withdraw from
the Sale Deed and receive the advance back from Mr. Lazer Silva, who later was very
thankful to Mr. Joyachan for his great gesture of understanding his and his familys plight
in his community.
Back to square one our search for land continued endlessly. Now, our new search was
geared to locate a plot of land in the vicinity, which does not belong to anyone from the
neighbouring three parishes where the ban to sell land for Fathimapuram people was in
force. It was at this time, one of our friends Mr. Sharma, who in 1978 helped us to locate
the land and building in the heart of Trivandrum near the Secretariat, adjacent to the
Accountants Generals Office, came forward and with the details about a four acre of
land, where the Fathimapuram fishermen live now, as belonging to some outsiders.
Although this was on the vicinity of their settlement, we never new that it belonged to
some outsiders. The land was attached by Bank of Baroda as a recovery asset for a loan
given to a local business man to start an Ice-plant cum Fish processing Plant and the
Bank was about to sell the land through Court Auction.. So we engaged Mr. Sharma on
our behalf, as our direct involvement would elicit wrath from St. Andrews Parish people,
to participate in the Court Auction only to realise that for some unknown reasons, the
bank preferred direct sale to someone with high offer. By this time the St. Andrew Parish
leaders came to know that we are behind that land and they equipped themselves to buy

the land at any cost. Upon this we have decided to use one of our earlier and successfully
tried strategy of invoking the Land Acquisition Act to acquire land for housing purpose of
fishermen through Alillathura, which means village without people, which was later
changed to Mariand, Houseing Cooperative Society, which was originally started by
Bishop Pereira for implementing the Housing Scheme at Marianad. Although within the
same Panchayat (local Council), this Coop did not have Fathimapuram within its area of
operation a lion without teeth as for the purpose of land for Fathimapuran people. The
matter was discussed in the Marianad Housing Cooperative Society Governing Body
which, subsequently, decided to extend its area of operation throughout Kadinamkulam
Panchayat area to include Fathimapuram people to have their housing. Accordingly, the
Bye-laws of the Housing Coop were amended in its General Body. The whole process
took a long time. Meanwhile almost all fishermen of Fathimapuram were enrolled as
members of the Housing Coop. The amendment was finally approved by the State
Department of Cooperation. The General Body of the Housing Co-op took decision to
approach the State Government to acquire the four acres of land belonging to the Bank
for Fishermen Housing Purposes. All paper works were done meticulously and cautiously
and moved through the Cooperative Department to the District Collector, who is vested
with the authority to make notification through the Government Gazette for acquiring
land for public purposes including for fishermen housing purposes, which was duly
notified. This was an unexpected blow for the leaders of St. Andrews who then changed
their strategy of opposing the purchase and turned into physical opposition.
Although the initial inspiration and support for the work out side of Marianad CDP were
given by Mariand Team, number of which increased by now including Mr. John Kurien
and other members working in other villages, in 1977, a new Non Government
Organisation called Programme for Community Organisation (PCO) was formed with the
Patronage of Bishop Pereira and Marianad Team Members and other colleagues in other
villages as members. This was done with the idea of providing a legal umbrella for all the
work initiated in the coastal areas of Trivandrum Diocese. With the failed attempt to put
up huts on St. Andrews coast, our work started getting direct attacks from several quarters
and different thought process evolved in PCO to address the Housing problem of
Fathimapuram fishermen. The dominant one was to resort to a political solution to the
problem. The second line of thought was to help the fishermen to own their own housing
plot and then resort to political intervention. This means strategies including chasing land
etc. Although approaching it through political process received majority, some of us were
for the second option. This division also came to reflect in the Marianad Housing Coop.
Hence, some of us decided to implement next steps through another NGO called the
Coastal Educational and Cultural Trust (CECT). CECT was registered in 1984 for the
purpose of taking up initiatives which were not covered by the existing organisations
which were created by us at different times for working in the coastal belt of Trivandrum.
Some of us borrowed money right and left from private individuals, including from Rev.
Fr. Bosco, my close relatives and many others and negotiated with the Bank. With
acquisition notification hanging over its head the Bank was now willing to sell for the
price it had to recover from its creditors to anyone willing to come forward. Accordingly,
it was sold to the nominees of CECT which was willing to purchase it on the background
of the acquisition orders of the Government. The land was purchased in the name of Mrs.

Reggie Nelson, from Kochuveli and then Chair of CECT, Mr. S. Franklin from Valiya
Veli and Trustee of CECT, Mrs. Helen Mary Dass, Puthenthope etc. Land was registered
and assigned in the name of private individuals in order to protect it from any eventual
illegal physical attack from the locals who were against the fishermen occupying it.
The fishermen gained confidence once the land was bought for them, although it was
with borrowed funds and in the name of private individuals. However, it took several
months to further organise them, prepare them to get out of the shock they received from
the failed attempts and constant opposition and assign individual plots in the name of
fishermen. Three acres of land was divided into 5 cents each and assigned to 60 families.
The balance 1 acre with an existing building turned into a Community hall was
earmarked for community purposes which was assigned in the name of Trivandrum
District Fishermen Federation, an off shoot of South Indian Fishermen Federation
(SIFFS) started while I was the Coordinator of PCO in 1980 as network of all
Fishermen Societies in the District with fish marketing as the core activity initiated under
the guidance of Marianad Project and PCO. Once the land assignment was complete, the
fishermen with land titles approached the State Fisheries body MATSYAFED - for
housing loans. When they received the Housing Loan, the Housing Programme became a
Government Programme and a function was organised to inaugurate the laying of
foundation stone on..for the housing Programme. Two State Ministers, including
the Fisheries Minister Mr. Rama Krishnan and the Minister for Youth Mr. Neela Lohida
Dasan Nadar participated. To commemorate the memory of a great visionary behind
bringing changes in the coastal belt of Trivandrum, a name - BISHOP PEREIRA
NAGAR- was carve in a big Foundation stone and unveiled by the two State Ministers
present. Although the police intelligence report was against the Ministers participation,
on the grounds of law and order, they had expressed personal commitments towards such
a noble cause and attended the function. The function was a great success. The minsters
participated also because the local left political parties by that time came to the rescue.
Mr. Stellus Netto, Mr. Newman, Mr. Carmal Miranda, Mr. Maria Dass and many others
played an important role in this. I remember many including my 77 year old father and
mother, my sister and many of my relatives who were with me during all trials and
tribulations and who borrowed huge amounts for purchasing the land solemnly
participated in this function as if it was a award giving ceremony for me personally.
One would imagine that further journey towards the construction of houses would go
without much difficulty. Matters did not end there. It was only the beginning of another
chapter. By this time, many things also changed in Marianad, where the Parish Priest took
forceful control of all peoples organisations working in the village under the pretext of
his position as Parish Priest. The St. Andrews Parish leaders with political motivation and
back support given by the same elements in the neighbouring Parishes, particularly by Fr.
Joseph Maria of Marianad Parish vehemently started opposing the housing scheme by
filing police cases, law and order cases against individuals and as a group. Years later,
when providence had taken me to be settled in the United Kingdom, I met with some of
the NRIs from St. Andrews. They have told me about their financial contributions
towards legal, police and other expenses related to their Parish campaign against the
alleged Fathimapuram encroachment in the very heart of their village. However, with the

involvement of the State Government, fishermen felt more confident of reaching their
goal and took it on themselves the responsibility of bringing building materials, arranging
masons and carpenters, supervising the buildings etc. The first stage of construction of
foundation went ahead without much problems and they obtained 1st Stage Completion
Certificate, the families received their Second instalment of housing loan. The second
stage of constructing the wall also progressed without many problems.
One evening the local Parish leaders collected their anti-social elements and hired thugs
from neighbouring Parishes lead by Fr. Joseph Maria of Marianad Parish marched
towards the housing site and demolished all constructions, including the foundations.
Although matter was reported to the police, no action was taken and nothing much
happened. Later, we tired to negotiate by involving the local Panchayat President Mr.
Basline Perira, who outwardly expressed sympathy and cooperation. We have offered to
reduce the number of houses to 1/3rd and use the rest of the land for community purposes.
Agreement was reached in Trivandrum. After the agreement six of un including Mr.
Perira, we went for a lunch to a hotel opposite to the Ayurvedic College. Even now I
remember the taste and size of Neymeen fish fry we had for the lunch. With renewed
hopes the fishermen borrowed money and started re-constructing their houses. After
completing the wall structures, they mobilised timber for their roof with the hope of
completing the constructions and having their house warming ceremonies within weeks.
Again, the inevitable happened mobilising anti-social elements from and outside the St.
Andrews Parish, the gang moved towards the housing site and demolished the
constructions including burning the timbers collected. The culprits with the backing of
the local Parish which was mobilising money from their NRIs from foreign countries for
averting encroachment of their village were untouched and unpunished. By this time, it
became too much for the poor fisher folk without any external support and with the
burden of two sets of loans from the government and from private sources. God alone
knows how they survived. Every time they were attacked, apart from demolishing the
constructions they were also beaten up not only family members but also the Community
organisers who were appointed to work with them, thereby demoralising each and
everyone involved in helping the fisher folk. After the second attempt also failed, the
fishermen lost all hopes and the supporting mechanisms from the NGOs also met with
severe internal difference of opinions and resource crunch. Finally we had to withdraw
our involvement from Fathimapuram.
Rest of the story, what I know, is that during the next general election period, the
Fathimapuram people were promised physical support by the left political parties and
during the campaign they constructed huts in their land and started living there. It did not
lost for long. Towards the end of the campaign, their huts were burned, upon which they
retaliated with all their force and with the support of the political parties. They attacked
the houses of those who were directly responsible for demolishing and burning their
houses. This time it was not safeguarding their land and properties, but inflicting physical
damage and injuries to the perpetrators that provided them with the courage and strength
to rebuild their huts again and live there. This slowly led to construct their houses one by
one and remained in the condition in which they are now it is the result of their fifth
attempt to construct a dwelling place on their legally owned land.

During the period of regular oppositions against constructing houses for the fishermen,
Fr. Theo Simons of CEBEMO, the Netherland Catholic Agency which provided partial
support through CECT for initiating a Community Development Programme including
the Housing Programme in Fathimapuram on the strength of our experience and
commitment to the fishermen cause asked us two questions:
1) Was it wise to purchase the land when there was so much of opposition, especially
from the local Catholic Church/s?
2) Would it not have been wiser to negotiate with the local Church leaders before going
for purchasing the land?
My answer was negotiation have to be on equal grounds; and not based on mere mercy
of one party - of the enemies of the fishermen, who were illegally denied land right and
right to life. This is unchristian. Only after land has been purchased, fishermen acquired
legal right over their land, and only after that the fishermen acquired the right and
confidence to negotiate around the table on equal terms. So ownership of a piece of land
is basic to lead any decent human life.
This is the story behind the Fathimapuram fishermen against all oppositions and odds to
have a settlement of their own in their own country. Any attempt to understand the history
of their new Church building will be incomplete without understanding the struggle for
their own settlement in Fathimapuram.
In January 1999, six months before I left India for good, I made a short visit to
Fathimapuram to introduce a foreign friend to its history and situation as part of my
development experience. Reaching UK, along with other UK and Indian friends, together
we founded Voice of Dalit International (VODI) - (www.vodintl.org.uk), an International
NGO to highlight the human rights and developmental aspects of Dalits, the historically
broken people who are made intergenerationally poor due to caste reasons. They
constitute 1/3rd of the global poor.
With all the best wishes for the people of Fathimapuram on the occasion of the
inauguration of their new Church on 13TH October 2011.
Eugene Culas
Voice of Dalit International (VODI)
ICG House, Station Approach,
Greenford, London UB6 OAL
Tel/ Fx : (00 44) 0208 813 2380
Email: vodi@vodintl.org.uk
Web: www.vodintl.org.uk