RAMANATHAPURAM
Expressing solidarity with anti-Sterlite protesters in Thoothukudi and condemning the killing of 12 people in police firing, shops downed shutters and fishermen staged protests at two places in Rameswaram island after striking work on Thursday.
The country boat fishermen, led by association leader S.P. Royappan and local leaders Patrick and Arul, staged a protest at Pamban, displaying the portraits of the gunfire victims, including three women, in a flex banner. People offered floral tributes to the victims before joining the protest.
A separate group of fishermen, led by mechanised boat fishermen association leaders P. Sesu Raja, N.J. Bose and Emirat, staged a protest at Thangachimadam against police lathi charge and firing and demanding immediate closure of Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi.
The fishermen leaders condemned the Central and State governments for ‘maintaining a stoic silence’ when the local people were staging the protest for more than three months demanding closure of Sterlite unit and ‘unleashing terror’ when they took out a peaceful march to lay siege to the Collectorate on the 100th day.
They demanded action against the police personnel responsible for the ‘cold-blooded’ murder of the protesters. The police and the district administration failed to handle the protest with a humane touch, they said.
The transfer of the Collector and the Superintendent of Police would not suffice, they said and demanded stern action against those who were responsible for the loss of lives.
Expressing solidarity with the protesters, shopkeepers and traders downed shutters at Pamban and Thangachimadam and joined the protest. Police said the protests in both the places in the island went off peacefully. Traffic was not disrupted as the fishermen staged the protest on the roadside and dispersed, they said.
