Sri Lankan Navy Arrests 12 Tamil Nadu Fishermen; Protests Erupt In Rameswaram

This incident follows the earlier arrest of 23 fishermen from Ramanathapuram by the Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday, along with the seizure of three boats, marking the second such case within a week.

Demonstrators, including mechanised boat operators, country boat fishers, and their families, also called for a halt to the frequent arrests and the seizure of their fishing vessels.

Source : Pixabay

Twelve fishermen from Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam district were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly crossing the maritime boundary and fishing in Sri Lankan waters on Monday. The fishermen, who had departed from Akkaraipettai fishing harbor the previous night, were arrested while fishing southeast of Kodiyakarai.

In response, their counterparts in Rameswaram staged a protest at the Pamban road bridge, demanding the Indian government’s immediate intervention for the release of the detained fishermen, reported PTI. Demonstrators, including mechanised boat operators, country boat fishers, and their families, also called for a halt to the frequent arrests and the seizure of their fishing vessels, which has reportedly become a regular occurrence in the Palk Bay region. Traffic in Pamban was brought to a standstill due to the scale of the protest.

This is the second protest organised by the fishermen after the one day-long fast on October 3. The fishermen took to a fast to protest against the Centre's handling of the conflict between Tamil Nadu fishermen and Sri Lankan Navy.

#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: Members of the fishermen community in Rameswaram staged a protest at the Pamban road bridge, demanding the release of the Indian fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy and their boats taken away. pic.twitter.com/CIARL6YObh

— ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2024

 

This incident follows the arrest of 23 fishermen from Ramanathapuram by the Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday, along with the seizure of three boats, marking the second such case within a week. Similar detentions have occurred previously, including the arrest of 16 Rameswaram fishermen in October for alleged border violations.

Previously, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has repeatedly urged the Central government to diplomatically address the issue, appealing to Foreign Minister S Jaishankar to take steps to protect Tamil Nadu fishermen and secure the release of those detained by Sri Lanka.