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The Sri Lankan Navy has apprehended seven fishermen from Rameswaram and seized their fishing boat near Mannar in the northern sea area, triggering unrest among the fishing community, fishermen's association representatives said.
The Sri Lankan Navy apprehended them for allegedly fishing across the maritime border and was taking them to the Mannar naval camp for questioning. The incident took place Saturday, October 31, when a fishing boat bearing registration number IND TN 10 MM 984, belonging to J Mervin of Thangachimadam's Anthonypuram, was detained along with seven fishermen on board. The fishermen have been identified as S Plasius (41), the boat driver; A Melson (56), from Victoria Nagar in Thangachimadam; S Alagu Pandi (22), from Rajagopal Nagar in Rameswaram; A Anthony Pichai (33), from Indira Nagar in Rameswaram; J Rabin (21), from Pamban Light House Street; A Sakhaya Anand (34); and R Arulanandu Xavier (65). Reacting to the incident, Rameswaram Fishermen Association President N Devadas said fishermen had been unable to venture into the sea for four days due to a cyclone warning, before more than 400 boats from Rameswaram went out for fishing on Saturday. "Due to the cyclone warning, we were prevented from venturing into the sea for four days. Yesterday, more than 400 boats from Rameswaram went out for fishing--not all boats went. Under these circumstances, the Sri Lankan Navy, which had seemingly paused operations during the cyclone, has struck again and apprehended one boat and seven fishermen near Mannar," he told ANI. Expressing anguish over the arrests, Devadas said the fishing community was distressed and questioned the response of the authorities. "This is truly shameful and deeply distressing. We do not even know how to put our grief into words. We are left wondering whether we are living under a government or living like abandoned orphans somewhere else," he said. He further alleged that boats seized by the Sri Lankan authorities were nationalised and subsequently destroyed. "They seize a boat, arrest the fishermen, nationalise the boat in Sri Lanka, and then break it apart, destroying it completely without leaving a trace of the vessel behind. To date, they have destroyed more than 300 boats like this," Devadas alleged. He said the state government provides Rs 8 lakh as compensation, while accusing the Central government of not taking adequate action to address the issue. "The state government provides Rs 8 lakh as compensation, while the central government simply watches on as a bystander. What is the government doing for its people?" he said. Devadas urged the governments to intervene immediately and ensure that fishermen venturing into the sea for their livelihood were not arrested and their boats were not confiscated. "We urge the government to immediately intervene and put a stop to this, ensuring that fishermen who venture out daily to earn their livelihood are not arrested and their boats are not confiscated," he said. Warning about the impact of repeated arrests and seizures on the fishing community, he said, "Otherwise, fishermen in India--especially those fishing in the Palk Strait region--feel as though they are living not in a country, but in a graveyard. We humbly appeal to the authorities to bring an immediate halt to this." (ANI)
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