14 Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy, two boats seized

 Rameswaram fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy
| Photo Credit: ]Special Arrangement

Fisheries Department officials here told The Hindu that they had issued 427 tokens on Saturday from the fishing harbour and that they were expected to return to shores on Sunday evening.

When 14 fishermen (eleven in one boat and three in another trawler) were engaged in fishing, the Sri Lankan Navy detained them under charges of poaching in the Palk Bay area. They were taken to the Naval Port and handed them over to the authorities for further legal action.

In less than a fortnight alone, over 50 fishermen were held and only a few days ago, they had registered their protest by way of a demonstration near Rameswaram bus stand.

Senior fishermen leader Sesu Raja said that they would convene a meeting on Monday (February 10) and decide about the next course of action.

In the meantime, he told this correspondent that the Union government had to step in and hold talks with the Sri Lankan government. “Only this will bring about a permanent solution…” he said.

The high level meeting with the fishermen associations in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province should be arranged for direct talks with the fishermen from Tamil Nadu. “The Sri Lankan government should allow us in Katchatheevu for three days in a week… The catch is only there.. Hence, the governments should enter into a Memorandum of Understanding for 50 years,” Mr. Sesu Raja said.

Such a solution would help the fishermen from both sides to venture into the sea without any apprehension. Else, the livelihood would be in for deep trouble. Fishermen would not have the sense of security while fishing. “We are traditional fishermen engaged in fishing in the Palk Bay from time immemorial. Depriving us from the rights under some pretext was unfair,” Selvin, a fishermen leader said.

Fine slapped

In the recent times, the Sri Lankan government not only arrested the fishermen from Tamil Nadu, but also slapped fines ranging from 50,000 to 200,000 Sri Lankan Rupee. Also, the authorities in the island nation jailed the fishermen from six months to 24 months under the guise of “repeat offender”.

Many families were in depression and needed psychological assistance, a 59-year-old fisherman Antony from Thangachimadam said and added that when the news reached the colonies here, the children and women wept and refused to eat. Some of them even threatened to end their lives.

The fishermen leaders said that they would meet on Monday.

(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)