The villagers of Tharuvaikulam are keeping their fingers crossed as uncertainty looms over the release of 12 fishermen who were detained by the Maldivian Coast Guard along with their boat on charges of poaching on October 23.
The fishermen of the village said they were engaged in multi-day, deep sea fishing, which was supported by the Union government. The boat was expensive, costing around ₹1.50 crore. “Detaining the boat and releasing the 12 fishermen will not serve any purpose,” Pugazhmani, a fisherman, told The Hindu.
Though Thoothukudi Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi and Union Minister L. Murugan have promised action to ensure the safe passage of the 12 fishermen, the villagers are hoping for the release of the impounded boat as well.
“We are not aware of the state of diplomatic relations between India and the Maldives. Our womenfolk are worried about the fishermen,” said a fishermen leader in Tharuvaikulam.
Father Churchill, of the South Asian Fishermen Fraternity, said, “We urge the Maldivian authorities to release the men after due investigation, since they are not criminals.”
Sources in the Fisheries department said the owner of the boat had received information on the arrests from another fisherman who had returned from the Maldives. “The boat owner has gone to the Maldives,” an official said.
The detained fishermen have been identified as Aathinarayanan, Adhisaya Paraloga Thiraviyam, Anthony Selvasekaran Paralogafrancis, Anthoni Ansal Krishtober, Anbu Soosaimichael, Michael Raj, Udhayakumar, Viknesh, Matheskumar Duraipandy, Maheshkumar Paramasivam, Mani and Sakthi. The Fisheries department has written to various authorities, seeking their release.
