Madurai, August 18
Mechanised boat fishermen in Rameswaram will launch an indefinite strike from August 31, seeking immediate government intervention to secure the release of Indian fishermen detained in Sri Lanka and recover boats confiscated by the island nation’s authorities.
The fishing community has also threatened to begin an indefinite hunger strike at Thangachimadam on September 1 if the Union and Tamil Nadu governments fail to initiate concrete action.
Sagayam, a representative of the Rameswaram Mechanised Boat Fishermen’s Association, said the fishermen would suspend all fishing operations until their demands were addressed. Their principal demands include the release of Indians imprisoned in Sri Lanka and the return of mechanised boats seized during previous arrests.
Several vessels have remained in Sri Lankan custody for extended periods, depriving boat owners and their crews of their primary source of income. The association urged the governments to retrieve the boats or provide adequate compensation to their owners if their return was no longer possible.
The fishermen also called for the revival of talks between fishing communities in India and Sri Lanka. They said direct dialogue, facilitated by the two governments, was essential to finding a permanent solution to recurring arrests and vessel seizures in the Palk Bay.
Rameswaram fishermen are frequently detained by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line. The repeated incidents have caused anxiety among coastal families and disrupted the region’s fishing economy.
Association representatives warned that the strike would affect not only fishermen and boat owners but also thousands of workers engaged in loading, unloading, boat maintenance, fish processing and other allied activities.
They said many families were already struggling to meet daily expenses and fund their children’s education because of repeated disruptions to fishing.
The association urged the Union government to pursue the issue through diplomatic channels and asked the Tamil Nadu government to provide financial and legal support to affected families.
