Reciprocating the goodwill gesture of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) after the officials expressed regret for the alleged firing on fishermen and visited the injured at the hospital, Rameswaram fishermen dropped their protest plan against the ICG on Thursday.
Leaders of 11 mechanised fishermen associations on the island, after an emergency meeting late on Wednesday, decided to call off the stir after the Coast Guard officials at the Mandapam station felt sorry for the incident and as Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had taken up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Though a section of the leaders insisted on going ahead with the demonstration to register their protest, a consensus was reached after deliberations to drop the agitation. The leaders felt that there was no need for the agitation after the marine police of the coastal security group registered an FIR against the ICG officials and Mr. Palaniswami asking Mr. Modi to advise the Ministry of Defence to avoid such incidents in future.
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The leaders felt that they could not afford to develop bitterness as they still see the Coast Guard as their protectors when they set out for fishing. The ICG officials have also assured the fishermen that such an incident would not happen in future and wanted to maintain cordial relations with them, they said.
The fishermen who struck work on Wednesday, registering their protest against the Coast Guard, decided to resume fishing from Saturday.