fishermen community

25-year-old Prasad Suri, a fisherman’s son from Andhra, wins Sahitya Akademi Award for writing his community’s forgotten coastal stories.

Fishermen in Chennai’s coastal communities have a sacred bond with Olive Ridley turtles, calling them "Kutty Amma Saami”. Their devotion goes beyond ritual — they actively protect these turtles from harm, even tearing their nets to free them. This unique alliance challenges the narrative of fishermen as environmental threats.

Venturing into the deep and rough waters of Arabian Sea on a 20-year-old single-engine boat, 45-year-old Rekha has been bravely battling the odds from the time she had stepped in to join her husband P Karthikeyan as a deckhand 13 years ago.

Hailing from an economically downtrodden community, Faseela’s achievement isn’t just a matter of pride and rejoicing for her family members - but the entire colony as well!

FM Lazer identified alcoholism as the root cause of poverty in the fishermen community in Kerala and set about changing that. Along the way he got involved in helping women and the elderly become more literate too, and launched a motorised tricycle for the disabled. Truly a man with a mission, Lazer's efforts are now bearing fruit across the entire state.