PUDUKKOTTAI: Anxiety has gripped the fishing communities of Kottaipattinam and Jegadhapattinam in Pudukkottai after the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 18 fishermen between September 5 and 7. The arrests have led to unrest, particularly among women who are calling for immediate intervention of both state and union governments to secure the release of their loved ones held in Lankan prisons.
“We urge the government to take immediate action to release my husband and ensure our seized boat is returned. It is our only source of income,” said Selvi, wife of an arrested fisherman.
According to S Uthirapathi, Jegadhapattinam panchayat president, the severity of punishment has escalated in recent years. “Previously, arrested fishermen were released within 1-6 months depending on government pressure. However, hundreds of seized mechanised boats over the past five years have neither been recovered nor compensated,” he lamented.Both boat owners and drivers now face more severe penalties.
“Owners may face imprisonment of over a year, while drivers could be jailed for up to six months. Recently, two boat owners, Selvakumar and Manikandan, were sentenced to over a year, and the boat driver will serve six months,” he said.
R Kesavan, a fisher from Akkarapettai, shared his plight after being detained by the Lankan Navy in August last. “My boat, worth Rs 25 lakh, was seized, and I spent 32 days in prison. Now, I’m a daily wager.”
Karu Ramanathan, district secretary of CITU fishermen union, rued about the delayed disbursement of daily allowances to the families of detained fishermen. “Though they are members of the Fishermen Cooperative Society, many families receive the daily allowance of Rs 350 from the state government only after their release, which is often months late. This delay pushes families into poverty and debt,” he stated.
When contacted, officials of district fisheries department assured that the demands will be reviewed, but policy changes are required for long-term solution.