“We have always lived on these islands and gone to sea. How can the state say it does not belong to us?”
—S. Pandiammal, 44, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu
Fisheries
The Slow Disappearance of Karal Meen from Rameshwaram’s Fish Markets
Industrial demand is making one of the most affordable species of fish along the east coast of India more expensive. E. Haripriya explores what these ripple effects mean for local kitchens in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu.
“They’ve started dumping cement there. It results in smaller, less meaty oysters that take longer to form”
—Ratna and Alka, Koli fisherwomen, Mumbai
“There is no first aid, or protective gear to stave off such injuries. There are no toilets, no shade”
—Jamuna Khatuwa, a coastal fishworker in Bakkhali, West Bengal
“You should’ve come when we get bombil. It is beautiful, every surface of Mandav is covered with it”
—Leela Solanki, who dries fish at Versova village, Mumbai
Dried Fish: Going Beyond Smell
While India has a rich and diverse culture around cooking dried fish, it hasn’t been celebrated owing to its fraught histories, matters of identity, and smells. Shruti Tharayil writes on challenging old hierarchies of sm…