fishermen-launch-strike-to-protest-against-attack-by-lankan

The crew of 700 mechanised deep-sea trawlers in Tamil Nadu began an indefinite strike at the state's largest fish landing centre in Rameswaram on Monday.

 

The protest is in response to the arrest of 32 fishermen and the seizure of five fishing vessels by the Sri Lankan Navy a day earlier.

 

The fishermen, who hail from Rameswaram and its surrounding areas, were detained on Sunday by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of poaching and violating the international maritime boundary in the Palk Straits.

 

Following the arrests, fishermen’s organisations staged protests across the Tamil Nadu coast on both Sunday and Monday, threatening to continue their strike indefinitely unless the Indian government takes decisive action to address the issue.

 

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging him to convene the India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group on Fisheries to ensure the release of the detained fishermen and their boats.

 

Geographical relevance of Rameshwaram

 

The arrest of Indian fishermen from Pudukkottai, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, and Ramanathapuram districts in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal in Puducherry, by the Sri Lankan Navy has been a recurring affair in the Palk Strait for the past few decades. 

Until 2009, Sri Lanka maintained that it was unable to distinguish between Indian fishermen and members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who used the sea routes for arms smuggling.

 

The bond between Indian and Sri Lankan Tamil fishermen was once strong, characterised by a sense of camaraderie. Sri Lankan Tamil fisherfolk would often travel to Rameswaram in India to enjoy late-night movie screenings of legendary actors like MG Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan, before heading back home the following day after a successful fishing trip.

 

 

 

For Indian fishermen, the small islands off Sri Lanka’s coast provided a safe haven. They used these islands to rest after long hours at sea, dry their fishing nets, and carry out necessary repairs on their boats.

 

This strategic point has always led to problems. 

 

These exchanges reflected the close, longstanding relationship between the two fishing communities across the maritime border.

 

Also read: Stalin writes to EAM seeking help for detained fishermen

 

Stalin also highlighted that the Sri Lankan Navy has apprehended 119 Indian fishermen and seized 16 boats since January.

 

Pattali Makkal Katchi leader Anbumani Ramadoss condemned the recurring arrests, calling them an attack on India’s sovereignty. He added that the Tamil Nadu fishermen’s situation, marked by the frequent violation of their livelihood rights, should be treated as a humanitarian issue.

 

This perspective had been previously echoed by Indian and Sri Lankan leaders when they met in December 2024.

 

The All India Mechanised Boats Fishermen Association, based in Rameswaram, voiced concerns about the rising number of arrests, citing that 530 fishermen had been arrested last year, alongside the seizure of 381 boats. Association chief P Jesuraja emphasised that Indian fishermen often have no choice but to fish in international waters due to the abundance of catch there.

 

The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party, led by Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, expressed solidarity with the fishermen, who risk their lives daily under the constant threat of arrest by the Sri Lankan Navy.

 

Fishermen leaders, including R Sagayam, criticised the Union government’s silence on the issue, pointing out that the fishermen’s traditional right to fish in the Palk Straits has been undermined.