Channapatna/Ramanagara: Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy directly accused Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar of ruining the peaceful lives of the Ganga fisherfolk, who once made a living catching fish in local lakes.
Campaigning for NDA candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy in Banantahalli village, he said, “The Ganga fisherfolk depended on these lakes for their livelihood, as fishing was their primary source of income, and these lakes were like a mother to them. However, by calling tenders for fishing rights and handing over the lakes to powerful entities, Shivakumar forced the Ganga fisherfolk, who had relied on these lakes for generations, into destitution,” Kumaraswamy said angrily.
Ganga Fisherfolk in the ST Category
Kumaraswamy assured that steps would be taken to include the Ganga fisherfolk in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. “This community deserves political representation. Previously, D.T. Jayakumar from our party served as a minister from this community, but recently, opportunities for them have diminished. I will make sincere efforts to have them included in the ST category,” the Union Minister promised.
