File photo of Rameswaram fishermen staging a day-long fast, demanding the release of the arrested fishermen, on October 3
| Photo Credit: L. BALACHANDAR
Fishermen, in over 300 mechanised boats, ventured into the sea from the Rameswaram jetty in Tamil Nadu on Saturday (October 12, 2024) after abstaining from work for 10 days.
Following the arrest of 17 fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy on September 29, fishermen associations in Rameswaram had refused to work in protest and observed a day-long fast in Thangachimadam with their families on October 3, pressing the Union and State governments to ensure their speedy release.
The 17 fishermen were released three days ago by a Sri Lankan court, on the condition that they pay a fine of 50,000 SLR each, after the Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with the Sri Lankan authorities.
The State Fisheries Minister Anitha Radhakrishnan and Ramanathapuram MLA Muthuramalingam alias Kadar Batcha helped arrange the amount to be paid.
After their release, on Friday (October 11, 2024), the fishermen association leaders convened a meeting and passed a resolution to end their stir and resume work from Saturday in view of the festival season.
The members of the association thanked the Union and State governments for their timely intervention, which helped in getting the jailed fishermen released.
They further appealed to the Union government to bring about a permanent solution to the issue of arrests of fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy so they could engage in fishing without any fear or insecurity in the Palk Bay. Their livelihood, according to the fishermen leader P. Jesu Raja, had been badly affected due to the frequent arrests and impounding of their vessels.
The fishermen associations also urged the members to ensure they did not cross the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) while fishing.
The Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department officials said the fishermen were issued tokens only after they produced their Aadhaar cards on Saturday morning. They were also told to be cautious and not to violate any of the guidelines issued by the State government.
Published – October 12, 2024 02:12 pm IST
