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About the Project
Printed Sources Of Fishworkers In Tamil Nadu
Project Grant
This project will digitize magazines, books, pamphlets, campaign booklets, and souvenirs that portray fisher unity and political solidarity of a once marginalized community that had moved to the public sphere. These print materials were published by the fish workers of Tamil Nadu and trace the history, community life, struggles, occupational experiences, and traditional knowledge of fishers. Even in Tamil social, political, and cultural spaces, fishers have been at the margin and isolated themselves from the mainstream. These records contain knowledge related to the sea and coast in ways only the working people of this landscape perceive.
Project Lead
Arunkumar A.S, French Institute of Pondicherry
Host Institution
French Institute of Pondicherry
More Information
Planning Grant: Explore the Collection Survey and Inventory
This project was launched with an MEAP Planning Grant that documented the magazines and booklets representing the history of fishing communities in Tamil Nadu (1960s - present). These publications speak to the unique moment where ideas of fisher unity and political solidarity emerged into the public sphere. The collection traces the history, community life, occupational experiences and traditional knowledge from fisher perspectives. These records contain rich information about fishers’ maritime knowledge, coastal ecology, experiences at sea, diversification of craft and gear, changing forms of value chains in markets and the possibilities of political solidarity and fisher unity.