Jaya's broken promise led to, 937 fishermen arrested Jan- Mar 2014-15. #DMK2016 manifesto, 5 lakh houses & including them in ST list

Standing firmly with Tamil Nadu’s coastal communities, M.K. Stalin condemned the AIADMK government for its chronic failure to protect traditional fishing rights and ensure maritime safety. He pointed out that between January and March during 2014-2015 alone, 937 innocent Tamil fishermen suffered wrongful detention in foreign waters due to complete lack of diplomatic initiative and political will from the ruling regime. Despite bombastic electoral assurances, coastal families were left defenseless against recurring harassment, vessel confiscations, and severe livelihood disruptions.

Stalin highlighted the comprehensive welfare roadmap formulated in the DMK 2016 election manifesto to bring structural security to marginalized coastal hamlets. Key commitments included constructing five lakh concrete disaster-resilient houses for fishing families and recommending their formal inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes list to ensure equitable socio-economic representation, educational reservations, and financial support. He stressed that coastal workers form an indispensable pillar of the state economy whose dignity and fundamental safety must be vigorously safeguarded. Stalin affirmed that a compassionate DMK administration would vigorously champion maritime boundary protection, guarantee subsidized fuel allowances, ensure fair compensation, and implement robust institutional welfare measures to ensure long-term community uplift.