Rowing Between the Rooftops: The Heroic Fishermen of the Kerala Floods

'Rejimon writes in a highly readable manner [of these]...heart-warming anecdotes of the valour of our coastal communities...whose members are well deserving of the highest praise and admiration from a grateful society. A work to cherish!'--Dr Shashi Tharoor, MP

In August 2018, when the worst floods in a century hit Kerala, fishermen risked their lives, their boats--their only source of livelihood--and their health to rescue thousands of stranded flood victims. They spent days and nights soaked to the skin, steering on empty stomachs. They had to navigate the wild flood's treacherous undercurrents and dive into dirty waters, risking disease and injury. Sometimes, they had to carry people or act as footstools to help them climb into the boats. They would even swim alongside the boats, so that more people could fit.

Veteran journalist Rejimon Kuttappan draws on years of friendship with the fisherfolk along the Thiruvananthapuram coast to bring their stories to the world--in their own words. Through interviews with fishermen, government officials and flood victims, as well as extensive research, he brings to life the daring heroism and heart-wrenching sorrow of those terrible days. In the process, he reveals the precarious lives of the fisherfolk communities--threatened by climate crisis, coastal erosion and a rapidly changing way of life.

This book is both a chronicle of heroism and a tribute to the enduring courage of a community that saved Kerala in its moment of need.

'Rejimon Kuttappan' is a migrant rights defender and independent journalist. He was Chief Reporter for 'Times of Oman' until he was deported in 2017 for exposing human trafficking and modern slavery in the Arab Gulf. Afterwards, he joined Equidem Research and Consulting, a specialist human and labour rights consultancy, as India-Arab Gulf Senior Investigator. Rejimon regularly contributes to Thomson Reuters Foundation, 'Middle East Eye, Migrant Rights, Equal Times, Caravan', wire.in, 'The Lede, The News Minute', etc., writing on workers' rights, Dalit and tribal struggles, manual scavengers and marginalized people in Kerala. He is also an ILO-Panos fellow and advisor to the Ethical Journalism Network. His work was published in 'Uncertain Journeys: Labour Migration from South Asia' (Speaking Tiger, 2018). Rejimon belongs to the Panan Dalit community of Kerala. Historically ballad singers, they recited the acts of great warriors and kings. He wishes to continue their storytelling legacy through this book.