The Sea's Grip: Life and Labor at Chennai's Kasimedu Harbour
At Kasimedu Fishing Harbour in Chennai, hundreds of workers—including 60-year-old Pavadairayan, known as a 'basket man'—carry 35-pound baskets of fish from boats to the auction in near dawn, earning about $5 a day under harsh, unsafe conditions. The overcrowded, under-regulated harbor relies on migrant labor with little safety nets, while stories of ex-smuggler Nandu Kumar and others illustrate the fragility of livelihoods, the risks of the sea, and a stubborn love for seafaring that keeps this community afloat even as younger generations seek steadier work.