RAMANATHAPURAM
Demanding the Central government to immediately help release nine fishermen detained in Sri Lankan prisons, fishermen at Thangachimadam observed a fast here on Wednesday.
Fishermen from different organisations joined together and under the banner of ‘Meenava Thozhilalargal Orunginaippu Kuzhu, Thangachimadam,’ observed the fast where a large number of women also participated.
Speaking at the fast, U. Arulanandam of Alliance for Release of Innocent Fishermen, said that the Centre should establish a commission to probe into deaths of four fishermen in the Palk Bay on January 18 allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy. The police should be directed to register murder cases.
Other speakers urged the Centre to release nine fishermen, who were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy recently and quarantined for covid-19 in a special camp.
The meeting demanded compensation for the boats, which were impounded by the Sri Lankan Navy a few years ago and released, but cannot be used now for fishing. The government should give compensation to the boat owners, which alone would help them get the boats repaired.
The members wanted fishermen to abstain from fishing until the governments responded favourably to the demands of the fishermen as fishing in Palk Bay was no more safe.
The family members of the four fishermen (A. Mesiya, N. Samson Darwin, S. Senthil Kumar and V. Nagaraj) who had died in the alleged killing participated in the fast and some among them wept uncontrollably.
