Communication as a conflict resolution strategy among pulicat fisherfolk

Abstract

newline newlineIt is a wonder that Pulicat had been a bone of contention for sea trade newlinebetween the ancient Tamil kingdoms from 1st century BCE and it had been an newlineactive urban centre in the north Coromandel Coast for about five centuries newlinestarting from the 14th century till the British. The fact that such an important newlineseaport had turned out to be an insignificant place of constant conflict for newlinelivelihood is indeed awful. In early times, fishing had not been an important newlineoccupation for the inhabitants of Pulicat; rather it was other trade-related newlineactivities. Different economic classes from ship-owning rich traders, newlineproducers, marketers to menial labourers had lived in Pulicat. Source of newlinelivelihood was abundant in the past. In the post-colonial era, resource newlinemobilization from hinterland towards Pulicat and its trade with East Asian newlinecountries stopped. The inhabitants of Pulicat started to rely fully on smallscale newlinefishing for their livelihood. In course of time, the construction activities newlineinitiated on the northern Coromandel Coast near Ennore and the Sathish newlineDhawan Space Centre and the subsequent developmental programmes have newlineaffected the biodiversity and ecosystem of Pulicat. newline newline