Petrol bomb attack victim seeks medical assistance, aid to bail-out family

Seeking financial assistance and medical aid to treat his burns, a mechanised boat fisherman, who suffered serious burns all over the body in a mid-sea petrol bomb attack by country boat fishermen off Kooththenkuzhi coast in November, submitted a petition during the weekly grievances redressal meeting held on Monday.

When mechanised boat fisherman Periyaraja of Tharuvaikulam was returning in his boat to the base at Tharuvaikulam along with the fellow crew on November 27 after multi-day deep sea stay fishing, a group of fibreglass country boat fishermen, who surrounded the mechanised boat off Kooththenkuzhi coast, hurled country bombs and petrol bombs on the mechanised boat. Mr. Periyaraja suffered serious burns all over the body while the mechanised boat and the fish gears were extensively damaged.

“After my father, our family’s sole breadwinner, suffered paralysis, I had to go for fishing to save our family. Now, I can’t even walk after the gruesome petrol bomb attack. Hence, the government should help our family and ensure continued medical assistance for me till return for work,” prayed Mr. Periyaraja, whose skin on the face, neck, chest, both hands have completely burnt in the petrol bomb attack.

A group of villagers from Vijayaramapuram near Sattankulam submitted a petition appealing to the Collector to retrieve their 2.81 acre burial ground where they were burying the bodies for more than 100 years. “Since a few individuals are trying to encroach the land by creating forged documents, the Collector should take appropriate action,” they said.

A group of transwomen, who staged demonstration on the Collectorate premises, submitted a petition seeking the removal of a transwoman from the Thoothukudi District Transgender Welfare Board. They alleged that the particular member was preventing the unbiased disbursal of welfare schemes meant for the transpersons and was demanding bribe for releasing financial assistance.

Since good number of transwomen in Thoothukudi district had lost their livelihood as they could not avail any of the assistances being given by the government due to the biased functioning of this member, the District Collector should remove the member under question from the welfare board and initiate legal action, they said.