Fishermen in Rameswaram have started an indefinite strike demanding the release of their brethren who have been toiling in Sri Lankan prisons after getting arrested by Lankan security forces for no fault of theirs.

For the past many years, it has become a usual practice for Tamil fishermen to get arrested by Lankan Navy personnel on false charges of straying into Lankan waters. Fishing community along the Tamil Nadu coast have been urging both the State and Central Governments to find a lasting solution to this issue, which is threatening to affect fishermen’s livelihood rights in a huge manner.

In a recent incident which took place near Katchativu, Tamil fishermen were not only attacked by Lankan Navy in an unprovoked manner; their fishing nets were damaged and their fishing apparatus and boats were also seized by the Lankan Navy.  Such boats seized in the past remain unreturned to the fishermen though they were released from prisons.

In the meantime, fishermen in Rameswaram commenced an indefinite strike (by staying away from the seas) demanding immediate release of the 100-odd fishermen from Lankan prisons.  They also demanded that the expensive fishing apparatus and fishing boats belonging to the fishermen, taken away forcibly by Lankan Navy, should also be returned to the fishermen to that their livelihood rights are not affected.