Fishermen seek EAM’s help to quash jail term given by Lanka court to duo
After staging a demonstration in Rameswaram urging the Centre’s intervention in the release of TN fishermen, black flags were put up on all mechanized boats in Rameswaram on Sunday.
A delegation of Tamil fishermen association on Monday called on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar along with MoS L Murugan and submitted a memorandum
MADURAI: Condemning the arrest and detention of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, the fishermen of Rameswaram have struck work on Monday. They have planned a series of protests to draw attention to their plight. Over 650 boats remain anchored along Rameswaram shore. After staging a demonstration in Rameswaram urging the Centre’s intervention in the release of TN fishermen from the Sri Lankan custody at the earliest, black flags were put up on all mechanized boats in Rameswaram on Sunday.
On Tuesday, a rally would be taken out from Rameswaram with the participation of fisher folks to Ramanathapuram Collectorate, where the fishermen would surrender RC books of their boats, Aadhaar cards and voter identity cards as there’s no solution to the problems faced by the fishermen.
Further, N. Devadoss, president, Rameswaram Fishermen Cooperative Society, said it would take at least two days to reach Ramanathapuram Collectorate, which’s about 50 km away from Rameswaram, by foot. ‘Whenever elections are close in Tamil Nadu, politicians from all parties make vows to ensure retrieval of Katchatheevu, which remains our traditional fishing ground. But once the elections are over, such politicians forget what they promised, and go on with their lives taking care of their families’, Devadoss said.
V.P. Sesuraja, president, Traditional Indian Fishermen Welfare Association, the fishermen association representatives on Monday met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum seeking the central government to immediately intervene to quash imprisonment sentences pronounced by the Sri Lankan court for the release of TN fishermen.
The Sri Lankan court recently sentenced two fishermen –Robert and John Britto to a six-month imprisonment for fishing across the IMBL. Additionally, the Lankan court has also sentenced Melson, a fisherman to one-year imprisonment.
Three months ago, fisherman Nambu Murugan was sentenced to two years' imprisonment.