One of the only two women in the cabinet of Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan, Mrs. J. Mercykutty Amma, Minister for Fisheries, Harbour Engineering and Cashew Industry, is known as a fiery leader who fights for the rights of the working class relentlessly.
A postgraduate in Malayalam, she has completed LLB course and is married to Mr. B. Thulaseedhara Kurup, President, Centre of Indian Trade Unions, Kollam district.
Mrs. Mercykutty entered politics as an activist of Students Federation of India (SFI) during 1974. She was SFI office-bearer at Fatima Matha National College, Kollam and Sree Narayana College, Kollam. She served as SFI State Vice-President and All India Vice-President up to 1985.
The leader, who hails from Kollam district, has held various positions in CITU and in the Communist Party of India (Marxist). She was the District Committee President of Matsyathozhilali (Fishermen) Federation, Kollam, up to 2012 and was the State Vice- President from 1987 to 2005. She was also the district treasurer of Coir Workers Union, Kollam, up to 1989 and the President of Khadi Workers Federation. She was also the Chairperson of Kerala State Co-operative Federation for Fisheries The Development Ltd. (Matsyafed).
The Minister is a Member, State Committee of the CPI (M); All India Vice-President and State Secretary, CITU; Vice-President, Kerala Cashew Workers Centre.
Mrs. Mercykutty was first elected to Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1987 (26th March, 1987 – 17th June, 1991). She was again elected to the Assembly in 1996 (20th May, 1996 – 13th May, 2001). Mrs. Mercykutty was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for the third time in 2016 and became Minister in charge of the portfolios of Fisheries, Harbour Engineering and Cashew Industry.
Forever, ready to solve any issues in the fishing and cashew production units, Mrs. Mercykutty would not allow even personal matters to come in between her and her trade union work.
Soon after the floods of 2018, Mrs. Mercykutty said any fisherman who suffered loss due to damages to his boat can approach the department. “According to the report compiled by Fisheries Department, 99 boats have suffered damages and we’ve repaired all of them.”
In the first week of February 2020, the minister was seized of the plight of Indian fishermen working in Iran. The minister said that the government will take all necessary steps to bring the fishermen from the state stranded in Iran following the coronavirus scare. She said the government will collect details of the Keralites trapped in Iran and coordinate with the Indian embassy there through NoRKA (Department of Non-Resident Keralite Affairs).
The minister also said the priority was to provide food and necessary medicines to those stranded there.
“The Indian embassy will be contacted through the Union Ministry of External Affairs. We will ensure that essential materials and food are made available to them soon. I am not sure about evacuating them now as all the flights have been cancelled,” Mrs. Merckutty said. The fishermen were in Iran, working for a fishing company for last many months. Most of the Keralites are from Pozhiyur and Vizhinjam areas in Trivandrum.
