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The hunger strike by fishermen in Rameshwaram entered second day on Sunday, protesting against the Sri Lankan Navy's frequent arrests of Indian fishermen.
The fishermen are protesting against the continued arrests by the Sri Lankan Navy, the confiscation of their boats and the maximum punishment given to the fishermen by the Sri Lankan court. Earlier in the month, the Sri Lankan Navy released the 18 fishermen arrested from Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram for allegedly crossing the border. The fishermen were apprehended while they were fishing near Delft Island in Palk Bay Sea on February 8. Earlier on February 6, twelve fishermen from Tamil Nadu, who were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy on January 13, were released and reached Chennai airport. The recurring arrests of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy have become a source of concern, not only for the Central government but also for the authorities in Tamil Nadu. On February 5, in a move aimed at drawing attention to their longstanding grievances, Rameswaram fishermen held a symbolic strike and outlined a series of demands to address the challenges they face. Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed concerns about the increase in attacks on members of the state's fishing community in the region and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and resolve the issue at the earliest. In his letter to Prime Minister Modi, Chief Minister Stalin stated, "I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the alarming increase in incidents of apprehension of Tamil fishermen and their boats by the Sri Lankan authorities. This issue severely impacts the right to livelihood of these fishermen, as the communities have utilised these fishing waters for generations." (ANI)
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