Demanding inclusion of the fishing community into the Scheduled Tribe list, the community leaders and activists staged a dharna in front of the Collectorate here on Thursday. The National Association of Fishermen (NAF) and The State Fishermen’s JAC on ST Status led the protest together. uducherry Health Minister, Malladi Krishnarao led the protest and raised slogans to include their community in the list. While addressing the huge gathering of fisher folk, Krishna Rao informed that there were 17 Lok Sabha members representing the fishing community. He said that seven MPs were representatives from Uttar Pradesh. Assuring their community’s activists and leaders that he would try to put a bill before the Lok Sabha on the issue, he demanded that the government set up a corporation for the benefit of the community in Andhra Pradesh. Krishna Rao wanted that all the fishermen be given Rs 10,000 in cash and 100 kg of rice when the government declares crop holiday for fishing. He also demanded that the government give pensions for the seniors in their community, as they are unable to venture into the sea. Minister Krishna Rao said that four commissions were constituted to study the dismal state of the community since 1995. Some states in the country included fisher folk into STs and some other states in the SC list. NAF district president Kollu Srinivasa Rao, Karri Padmasri, Balasali Indira, Yerupalli Satyaveni, Karri Narayana, Karri Chitti Babu, Boddu Satya Narayana, Pisangi Adinarayana, Bandana Hari and others participated in the dharna.