Family members of 10 Rameswaram fishermen, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy on charges of trespassing, launched an ‘indefinite fast’ on Monday, demanding their release but gave up the agitation after fishermen leaders and officials explained about the present state of affairs in the island nation after the Easter Sunday’s serial blasts.
After the family members launched the fast in front of their houses at Thangachimadam, Rameswaram Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) S. Magesh and fishermen leaders, including P. Sesu Raja, held talks with them and requested them to drop the stir in view of the present situation in Sri Lanka.
After fishermen leaders promised to take up the issue in the coming days and the officials assured that they would take necessary steps to secure the release of the fishermen, who were incarcerated for more than three months, the family members gave up the stir.
The family members wanted to stage a protest when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited here to address an election rally on April 13 but dropped the same when officials intervened and assured to secure the release at the earliest.
As the fishermen continued to remain in jail, the family members launched the stir. “We have decided to call off the stir for the time being after fishermen leaders assured to take up the issue,” said Antony Loyola, kin of one of the arrested fishermen.
The Lankan navy had arrested 10 fishermen, including two students, on January 12 when they were fishing on the high seas.
The arrested included J. Sam Daniel, a plus one student and B. Durai Pandi, second year engineering student who had accompanied the fishermen to earn some money to meet educational expenditure.
The two students had already missed their board and semester examinations and they would not be able continue their studies if they were not released immediately, family members said.
