Fishermen associations in Ramanathapuram have announced that they will go on strike from Monday and have passed three resolutions at a meeting in support of the nine fishermen, from Thangachimadam and Rameswam, reportedly arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for crossing the IMBL in the early hours of Sunday.
According to sources in the Fisheries Department, 517 mechanised boats had obtained tokens from Rameswaram and ventured into the sea on Saturday, and over 2,000 fishermen from Rameswaram, Thangachimadam, Mandapam and other hamlets had gone for fishing in them.
In a mechanised boat owned by A. Kirubai, son of Abaranam, of Manthope, Thangachimadam, nine fishermen, including Kirubai, 37; Valan Koushik, 24; Micheyaas, 30; Kingston, 28; Sam Stiller, 21; Nijaan, 30, and Brighton, 22, were sailing.
They were arrested, said P. Sesu Raja, a fishermen’s association leader, adding that the Navy nabbed them while they were fishing in the Indian waters, closer to Katchatheevu.
He said according to information reaching here, the arrested fishermen were taken to a camp in Kankesanthurai.
Speaking to The Hindu, a senior official in the Fisheries Department, Chennai, said a total of 36 fishermen, in four mechanised boats from Rameswaram, had been arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy, in less than a month.
With Saturday’s arrest, 45 fishermen and five boats have been taken by the Sri Lanakn authorities.
When asked about a report that the Sri Lankan government had released seven of the 36 fishermen, he said they were yet to be handed over, as they were all quarantined in a camp due to COVID-19.
Resolution passed
Fishermen leaders, in a resolution passed at the meeting, condemned the Sri Lankan government for repeatedly arresting the fishermen, who, they claimed, were fishing only in the Indian territory.
They insisted that both the Central and State governments should to consider their demands, immediately, and take steps for the release of the arrested fishermen.
Until then, they have announced that they would remain off the sea.
At a time when the pandemic has driven them poorer, such arrests, under the guise of crossing the IMBL, have only forced them to consider giving up fishing, Mr. Raja said.
