Sri Lankan Navy personnel on February 3 arrested 23 fishermen, belonging to Rameswaram and Thangachimadam, and impounded two of their mechanised boats at a point near Neduntheevu on charges of poaching.
Protesting the latest arrests, fishermen associations in Ramanthapuram district have called for a boycott of the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The associations also resolved to persuade their members against casting votes in the polling stations in their habitations.
According to information available, the Sri Lankan authorities have taken the 23 fishermen to Myliti Port. They are likely to be produced in a court.
Following this fishermen associations in the coastal district convened an urgent meeting.
According to Fisheries Department officials, 492 tokens were issued on Saturday from Rameswaram jetty.
The boats, belonging to J. Sahayaraj and A. James, in which 23 fishermen were engaged in fishing in the mid-sea, were held by the Sri Lankan Navy personnel on Saturday night. Subsequently, they were taken to the Port for inquiry.
Meanwhile, fishermen leader Jesu Raja told The Hindu on Sunday that in the recent past, arresting the fishermen along the Palk Bay waters by the Sri Lankan Navy had become a regular affair.
Just before the visit of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the temples in the district on January 21, about 10 fishermen were arrested on January 18. However, they were let off in two days, apparently due to the presence of the Mr Modi in the district, he said.
From 2018 to 2024 (till date), the Sri Lankan Navy personnel had impounded 150 boats. Due to the intervention of the Union government, the Sri Lankan authorities had released the arrested fishermen, but not handed over the boats.
Each boat, Mr Jesu Raja said, cost around ₹25 lakh to ₹1 crore. By detaining the boats, the livelihood of the fishermen has been impacted. “We don’t have any alternative to settle the mounting debts,” he said and urged the Union government to immediately intervene at the highest level and help in getting back all the impounded boats.
Resolutions
An urgent meeting convened in Thangachimadam resolved to appeal to the Union government to safely secure the release of the 23 fishermen from Sri Lanka.
The meeting passed a resolution to get the 150 impounded mechanised boats lying in Sri Lankan Ports without any delay as it would rescue the fishermen from the debts.
In the case of failure to look into the demands of the fishermen, the fisherfolks would boycott the Lok Sabha election and would also not allow any of their members to cast votes in the polling stations in their habitations, they resolved.
