RAMANATHAPURAM: Condemning the continuous arrests of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, all fisherfolk in Rameswaram staged a strike on Monday, and demanded the Union government to take steps to bring back the arrested fishermen and their boats. Over 700 boats were docked at Rameswaram on the day.
As many as 32 men from Rameswaram, and Pudukkottai district have been arrested by the island nation authorities over the past two weeks for allegedly fishing beyond the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), official sources said. Their four boats have also been seized.
While speaking during the protest meeting on Monday, Sahayam, a fishermen association leader in Rameswaram, said over 100 fishermen and about 25 boats were taken into custody by the Lankan Navy in the past four months. "Though India has been hugely supporting the country to tide over its dire economic crisis, they still continue to arrest our fishermen," he said.
The protestors also urged the Union government to urgently intervene and bring back the arrested men from the island nation. "We decided to hold a one-day strike (and not an indefinite strike) as the fishing ban will come into effect April 15 onwards, and we have to make most of the next few days," Sahayam added.