Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu), Nov1 (IANS) Seven fishermen from Tamil Nadu’s Rameswaram and Thangachimadam were taken into custody by the Sri Lankan Navy early on Sunday, adding to a series of detentions that have prompted repeated demands for government intervention and a lasting solution to the fishing dispute.
Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department officials said naval personnel intercepted the fishermen’s trawler around 1 a.m. while they were fishing between Katchatheevu islet and North Mannar.
The fishermen, detained on allegations of poaching, were taken with their vessel to a Sri Lankan naval port.
Officials identified them as Placius, 41; Alagu Pandi, 22; Antony Pitchai, 33; Rabin, 21; Nelson, 58; Arulananda Xavier, 65; and Sahaya Anand, 34. All seven belong to fishing communities in Ramanathapuram district.
The Fisheries Department had issued 398 tokens on Saturday for fishing operations. Those who ventured out were scheduled to return on Sunday evening, but the seven men were detained before completing their trip.
Fishermen’s leaders condemned the arrests and urged the Central and State governments to secure their release at the earliest. They said the incident had come as a shock with Deepavali approaching.
“We will convene a meeting of all fishermen associations in the coastal district and decide the next course of action,” a fishermen’s leader said.
The latest detention follows the arrest of nine Rameswaram fishermen and seizure of their mechanised boat on October 3. That incident subsequently figured in Chief Minister Vijay’s appeal to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for intervention. In his October 5 letter, Vijay sought the release of 20 fishermen then in Sri Lankan custody and 270 seized boats. He also called for renewed engagement through the bilateral Joint Working Group on Fisheries. Those figures reflected the position at that time.
Earlier, in July, nine fishermen who had sailed from Rameswaram were arrested while fishing north of Mannar. Their boat, owned by a Thangachimadam resident, was seized, and the crew were taken to a naval camp in Mannar.
Another incident reported in March involved seven Rameswaram fishermen and two mechanised boats detained for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line. Fishing associations had then demanded the release of both the men and their vessels. Against this backdrop, local associations are preparing fresh consultations following Sunday’s arrests, with their immediate appeal focused on bringing the seven fishermen home.
–IANS
aal/vd