Kerala Swatantra Matsyathozhilali Federation
Encyclopedia
The Kerala Swatantra Matsyathozhilali Federation (KSMTF, or the Kerala Independent Fishworkers Federation) is a trade union
of small-scale artisanal fishers of the state of Kerala
in South India
. Small-scale fishworkers had been left out of the political mainstream in the politically charged Kerala province, as both the Left and the Right presupposed that they would only vote under the influence of the Catholic Church.
The KSMTF was responsible for the political awakening of the small-scale fishing community in the early 1980s, when they had to struggle to preserve their livelihoods against the commercial trawlers whose fleet had rapidly expanded to unsustainable levels. Led by the Liberation Theology
-inspired radical clergy, KSMTF took the fight to a political level, leading to far-reaching changes in governance (including a closed season for trawlers since 1988).
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
of small-scale artisanal fishers of the state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
in South India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Small-scale fishworkers had been left out of the political mainstream in the politically charged Kerala province, as both the Left and the Right presupposed that they would only vote under the influence of the Catholic Church.
The KSMTF was responsible for the political awakening of the small-scale fishing community in the early 1980s, when they had to struggle to preserve their livelihoods against the commercial trawlers whose fleet had rapidly expanded to unsustainable levels. Led by the Liberation Theology
Liberation theology
Liberation theology is a Christian movement in political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions...
-inspired radical clergy, KSMTF took the fight to a political level, leading to far-reaching changes in governance (including a closed season for trawlers since 1988).