The fishermen in Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram on Monday staged a protest against the arrest of their 17 fellows and confiscation of two boats by the Sri Lankan Navy while they were venturing off the Rameshwaram coast. Protesters, comprising men and women, sat on the streets and chanted slogans demanding the return of fishermen.
Tamil Nadu CM Stalin write to MEA Jaishankar
Earlier on Sunday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin apprised External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar about the issue and urged swift measures for their safe return. In his letter to MEA, he wrote that fishermen, who ventured for fishing from the Rameswaram fish landing centre on September 28 were apprehended near Neduntheevu on Sunday by Lankan authorities.
"I have repeatedly reiterated that concrete and proactive steps must be taken to resolve this festering issue diplomatically. Considering the gravity of the situation, I have also submitted this as one of the requests in the memorandum submitted to the prime minister on September 27, 2024." The detention of fishermen and the confiscation of their boats cause serious distress and uncertainty among the coastal communities, he added.
Fishermen had permission from authorities
The arrested fishermen have been identified as Markmillan, Milton, Ronald, Sesuraja, Jeevan Frisher, Suresh, Arul Dhinakaran, Durai, and Maria Sethin from Thangachimadam, along with Ardiya Nicho, Jebastian, Rajeev, Vivek, Innachie, Samuel, Brichan and Bhaskaran. Moreover, two boats belonging to ishermen Thangachimadam Vyadaraj and Thangachimadam Selvam have also been confiscated.
As per the Rameswaram fishermen association, the arrested fishermen were fishing in the Palk Bay area near Nedunthivu, having set out to sea with 309 boats. The fishermen had taken permission from the Rameswaram Fisheries Department a day earlier to venture into the sea. The fishermen were taken to Mannar port by the Sri Lankan Navy for questioning, the association said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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