CPI-led stir in Rameswaram seeking fishermen’s release
Fishermen attached to CPI staged a novel protest at Rameswaram harbour demanding the state and central governments to release the fishermen and their boats held by Sri Lankan Navy.
By : migrator
Update: 2016-12-20 19:17 GMT
Madurai
Three fishermen posed as ‘Three Wise Monkeys’ and staged protest condemning the state and the central governments for remaining as mute spectators for the assault carried out against the fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy.
In the protest one of the fisherman mimicking the Union Government closed his ears symbolising that the Union government was turning a deaf ear towards their problem. Another fisherman dressed as Ministry of External Affairs closed his eyes symbolising how the ministry had shut its eyes in dealing with their issue. The third fisherman who had dressed as State government had his mouth closed, symbolically stating that the state government was a mute spectator to the ongoing fishermen issue.
A fourth fisherman held a begging bowl with a slogan symbolising that fishermen were reduced to beggars in the rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They also claimed that the Sri Lankan Navy had seized more than 120 boats and had arrested 22 fishermen including the seven fishermen arrested on Tuesday.
The State and central governments should take steps to release the fishermen. The Sri Lankan government had decided to sell the seized boats of Tamil Nadu fishermen by January and hence if the union government does not take steps to stop the auction before January 10, a large scale protest would be held at Rameswaram and their National Secretary, D Raja, would participate at the protest warned the fishermen.
7 TN men taken away by SL Coast Guard
Seven Pudukkottai fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lankan navy for reportedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and fishing near Neduntheevu in Sri Lankan waters during the wee hours of December 19.
Sources said, around 1000 fishermen of Kottaippattiam of the Pudukkottai district had ventured into sea by 270 mechanised boats on Monday morning. As per their schedule, they should have returned to the shore on Tuesday morning. However, except for two boats, others reached the shore as per the schedule. On growing suspicion, the fishermen association functionaries had initiated a search operation. Meanwhile, they were told by their counterpart Sri Lankan fishermen that the seven fishermen of Kottaippattinam were arrested by a patrol team of Sri Lankan Coast Guard when they were fishing at Northwest of Delft island near Neduntheevu in Sri Lankan water. And the arrested fishermen and two fishing boats were taken to Karainagar and were handed over to the Assistant Director of Fisheries, Jaffna for onward action.
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