Thangachimadam stir to continue as talks fail

The flashpoint was the firing incident on Monday, when Sri Lankan Navy had allegedly shot local fishermen in mid-sea. K Bridjo, a 21-year-old fisherman had died. The incident caused a furore among the fishing community, resulting in protest at Thangachimadam. 

The kin and the fishermen have refused to accept the body of Bridjo and also the cheque of Rs 5 lakh issued by the state government as compensation.The protesters held candles as mark of peaceful protest. Emirut, one of the fishermen’s leaders said the peaceful protest and will continue to do so till the representatives from the Centre visit the protest spot and assure them of action. 

In the meantime, fishermen leaders held talks with officials. In the talks headed by Rameswaram RDO, Ramaprathaban, Police and Fisheries Department officials participated in the talks. 

RDO had asked the fishermen to form a team of 10. He also said that the team of 10 could meet the Secretary of External Affairs Ministry, S Jaishankar, on March 17 in Delhi. However, the fishermen refused the proposal and stuck to their stand that the officials should come to Thangachimadam. 

The Tamil Nadu Government will send shortly a detailed report to the Centre on the alleged firing by the Sri Lankan Navy on an Indian fishing boat near the controversial Katchatheevu Island on Monday night. The report would contain the details of shooting incident, bullet recovered from the body of the deceased fisherman K Bridjo (21), post-mortem report, damages caused to the mechanised fishing trawler that was reportedly attacked by the Lankan Navy. The report would be forwarded to the External Affairs Ministry, official sources said.