Fishermen from Rameshwaram have announced a series of protests demanding the immediate release of Tamil Nadu fishermen currently detained in Sri Lankan custody, along with the fishing boats seized by Sri Lankan authorities.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of representatives of mechanised boat fishermen’s associations held at the Rameshwaram fishing harbour in Ramanathapuram district.
According to the decision, the fishermen will launch an indefinite strike from August 30, followed by a continuous hunger strike at Thangachimadam from September 1.
The fishermen have called for the immediate release of all Tamil Nadu fishermen held in Sri Lankan prisons and the return of the fishing boats seized by Sri Lankan authorities. They have also demanded that compensation be provided for the mechanised fishing boats confiscated by Sri Lanka, similar to the relief payments provided by the previous administration.
The fishermen further urged the Indian and Sri Lankan governments to resume the India–Sri Lanka fishermen’s talks, which, they said, have not been held for nearly a decade.
The planned protests come amid continuing tensions over the arrest of Tamil Nadu fishermen and the seizure of their boats by Sri Lankan authorities in the Palk Strait.
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