KANNIYAKUMARI: The families of six jailed fishermen from Manakudi in Kanniyakumari district are anxiously awaiting their release by the Sri Lankan navy.
P Alex (25), V Anthony Rajan (44), V Santhana Aloysius (52), S Aruldhas Britto (47), A Albret (52) and J Selvashanu (26) from Mela Manakudi were arrested by the Lankan navy when they had gone fishing from Mandapam in a fibre boat owned by P Alex on May 10. Next day they were detained by the Sri Lankan navy and lodged in the Velichura Jail.
A Xavier Pitchai, the brother of arrested fisherman Albret, said that though it has been two weeks, the arrested fishermen from Manakudi have not been released.
Albert is the sole breadwinner of the family. His three children are longing for his return. The family could not speak with him yet. As it was probably the first time fishermen Manakudi faced arrest in Sri Lanka, we don’t know what to do, Pitchai stated.
E Jenitta said her son Selvashanu had gone to Mandapam as there was no fishing work here. “Since his father could not work, Selvashanu was into fishing and supporting the family. Now, we have no income,” she added. P Micheal, the brother of another arrested fisherman Alex, said his mother has been living with oxygen support for years. She is hopeful of Alex’s early return.
Father Churchill, General Secretary, South Asian Fishermen Fraternity, urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to instruct the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka to provide immediate clothing to the six fishermen lodged in jail.
The High Commissioner of India should intervene to help the detained fishermen speak with their family members, he added. Pressing for their release, Churchill said: “They are traditional fishers who have been engaged in hook and line fishing. It is a harmless fishing method that does not destroy the sources of the fish bank. The Sri Lankan government must have mercy to the fishers and release them.”