The body of K. Britjo, the 21-year-old fisherman who was shot dead allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy on the high seas a week ago, was finally buried here on Monday evening after the fishermen “suspended” their seven-day-old agitation.
A day after Union Ministers Pon Radhakrishnan and Nirmala Sitharaman addressed the fisherfolk and assured that their grievances would be looked into, fishermen leaders accepted Britjo’s body, kept at the government hospital mortuary here, and performed the burial after the funeral mass at the protest venue at Thangachimadam.
“Accepting the assurances given by the Union Ministers, we are postponing the agitation. We will draw up the future course of action after meeting foreign secretary S. Jaishankar in New Delhi after March 20,” P. Sesu Raja, leader of a mechanised boat fishermen association, said.
After the funeral mass, hundreds of men, women and children bade a tearful farewell to the body of Britjo, which was taken in a procession to the cemetery at Anthoniyarpuram, near the protest venue. After taking part in the burial ceremony, the fishers dispersed peacefully even as the posse of police heaved a sigh of relief.
Earlier, emotional scenes were witnessed when the body of the young fisherman was brought from the hospital mortuary to the protest venue. Men burst into tears and women wailed as the coffin was carried for the funeral mass in front of the Infant Jesus Church.
Youth walked in front, holding black flags and shouting slogans against the Lankan Navy. Britjo was one of the six fishermen who were allegedly fired at by the Lankan Navy when they were fishing on the high seas. Britjo, who was hit by a bullet on his neck, succumbed to the injury while being brought to the shore.
