Even after 8 years, fisherman’s family still lives in misery

KANYAKUMARI: Families of the eight fishermen who went missing in Cyclone Phyan are still struggling to make ends meet. Among the worst affected by the cyclone is the family of Aneesh, who was the sole bread winner of the family. The family lives in a dimly lit small asbestos sheet house in a narrow lane.
His father Arthanas is handicapped and hence cannot find work.Days after Aneesh went missing, his mother Leela went into severe depression and was bedridden for five months, before she breathed her last. Aneesh’s unmarried sisters Jenisha and Jersha were left helpless. The family managed to get Jenisha married.
26-year old Jersha’s marriage got postponed over the years as the family was undergoing an acute financial crisis. Usually girls of this area get married when they are 21 or 22 years old, said a villager. Jersha is now all set to get married to B Jayasingh, a fisherman of the same village, on the 29th of December.
Knowing the pain and risks involved in the job, she is happy with his profession and is excited about getting married at last. Villagers said that they are planning to pool in money to help the family perform the ceremony with less difficulty.
Aneesh’s family and the seven other families are hoping the government would provide financial assistance, so that they could pay debts, as the CM had announced Rs20 lakh per family to the fishermen who lost their lives to cyclone Ockhi.