If this continues, even our bodies won’t reach you, say detained TN fishermen

CHENNAI: Representatives from fishermen’s welfare organisations in Tamil Nadu have urgently appealed to the State’s Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare Department to secure the release of 14 fishermen from the State who have been detained in prisons across Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait for over 14 months.

Father Arputhraj Churchill, general secretary, South Asian Fishermen Fraternity, and Nanjil Ravi, founder-president, All Fishermen’s Association, met with Fisheries Commissioner K Jayalakshmi on Tuesday, urging immediate intervention.

They highlighted the prolonged detention of fishermen, who were arrested between December 2022 and January 2023, and emphasised the lack of diplomatic progress in their cases. Representatives also underscored the vulnerabilities of Indian fishermen navigating contested waters and the pressing need for systemic reforms in cross-border maritime governance and welfare support.

Six fishermen from Chennai – Karunakaran, Ashok, Rajan, Murugan, Aruldas, and Balamurugan – and seven from West Bengal were arrested by Pakistani Coast Guards on December 28, 2023, near the Gujarat-Pakistan maritime border. They remain incarcerated in Karachi prison.

Five fishermen, including Arul from Kanyakumari, Sajan and Ayyappan from Nagapattinam, and two from Kerala, were detained on January 1, 2023, while fishing in Saudi waters. They are held in Jeddah Prison.

Four fishermen from Ramanathapuram – Yesu, Vinothkumar, Chandru, and Karthik – were arrested on December 2, 2023, by Kuwaiti coastal guards during a fishing expedition.

Father Churchill criticised the absence of communication from Indian embassies in Gulf nations. Unlike cases involving Sri Lanka, where detentions are swiftly reported to central and state governments, arrests in Gulf countries or Pakistan often go unacknowledged.

“Families receive desperate letters from prisoners detailing poor food, health crises, and unsanitary conditions, but our embassies haven’t even visited them,” he stated.

Nanjil Ravi also shared harrowing accounts from letters written by the fishermen. “They plead for rescue, fearing they may not survive the brutal conditions. One wrote, ‘If this continues, even our bodies won’t reach you’,” he revealed.

Despite a State government scheme providing Rs 350 daily to families of detained fishermen, the kin of these 14 men have not received payments for 14 months. Representatives demanded immediate disbursal to alleviate their worsening poverty.

The groups urged the State government to form district and state-level welfare committees to address fishermen’s issues and liaise with governments also urged to strengthen diplomatic channels to prevent future detentions and ensure swift consular assistance.

Commissioner Jayalakshmi assured the delegation that their concerns would be escalated to higher authorities. However, activists stressed that without urgent central government intervention, the fishermen’s plight risks being overlooked in bureaucratic delays.

Lodged in Karachi prison

Arrested by Pakistani Coast Guards on December 28, 2023, near the Gujarat-Pakistan maritime border

· Karunakaran, Ashok, Rajan, Murugan, Aruldas, and Balamurugan from Chennai

· Seven from West Bengal

Lodged in Jeddah Prison

Detained on January 1, 2023, while fishing in Saudi waters

· Arul from Kanniyakumari

· Sajan and Ayyappan from Nagapattinam

· Two from Kerala

Arrested by Kuwaiti Coastal Guards

Arrested on December 2, 2023, during a fishing expedition

· Yesu, Vinothkumar, Chandru, and Karthik from Ramanathapuram