40 Ramnad men in Sri Lanka jail since June, allege fishers; stage rail roko

MADURAI: Scores, including aggrieved families of jailed fishermen in Sri Lanka, fellow fishers, boat owners and indirect stakeholders of the fishing industry from parts of Rameswaram, Pamban and Mandapam in Ramanathapuram district staged rail roko at Thangachimadam on Tuesday evening.

The agitating fisherfolk raised slogans in support of their demands to be fulfilled by the central government. Many among the protesters squatted on the rail track to draw attention to their plight and seek help from the government.

Among their list of demands was that they wanted the release of fishermen from Sri Lankan prisons and their boats from their custody.

Condemning the arrests by the Sri Lankan Navy, VP Sesuraja, president, Rameswaram All Mechanised Boats Fishermen Association, who led the agitation, sought the intervention of the central and state governments to ensure their release at the earliest.

As many as 40 fishermen with seven mechanised boats and a country boat with nine fishermen have been detained by the Lankan Navy since the annual fishing ban along the East coast of Tamil Nadu was lifted in June.

S Emarit, secretary of the Association, said the Indian government should hold talks with the Sri Lankan counterpart to ensure the fishermen's release on humanitarian grounds.

The Rameswaram-Tambaram Express was halted. The train, which departed from Rameswaram at 4.05 pm, came to a halt at Thangachimadam. The train then started after an hour’s delay.

Later, the crowd dispersed after they were convinced by the talks with officials, who informed them about measures being taken to meet Chief Minister MK Stalin and the External Affairs Ministry for the release.