The fishermen of Tamil Nadu, frustrated by action against their brethren on the high seas by neighbouring Sri Lanka, announced an indefinite strike from February 17 this year. For the first time, the fishermen of Ramanathapuram stayed away from the two-day annual festival of St. Antony’s Church at Katchatheevu held on February 23 and 24. Their protest lasted nearly 10 days. At the intervention of Ramanathapuram MLA Muthuramalingam, alias Kadar Batcha, they gave up their relay fast and resumed fishing on February 27. He assured them that the fishermen in Sri Lankan jails would be bailed out through diplomatic channels. From the beginning of January 2024, at least 75-90 fishermen from Rameswaram alone were detained and over 10 vessels were impounded. While the arrested fishermen were released a fortnight later with a warning, four fishermen, found to be repeat-offenders, were handed prison sentences ranging from six months to two years.
Speaking to The Hindu, fishermen leader P. Jesu Raja of Rameswaram said the fishermen go out to sea for 10 months a year, excluding the annual two-month ban. In the remaining 300 days, bad weather forces them to stay away from the sea for 30-60 days. Hence, they are able to fish for only 240 days or eight months a year.
In this limited period, they have to contend not only with the Sri Lankan Navy that has stepped up the arrests but also the Sri Lankan courts that impose jail terms on boatmen, fishermen, and boat-owners. Such harassment has caused psychological issues among the fishing community as a whole and created a sense of insecurity. “Our livelihood has come under a big threat,” he said.
