Worried by the conflicting reports on the release of five fishermen awarded the death sentence by the Colombo High Court on the charge of drug-trafficking, the family members of the fishermen resumed fast on Saturday, demanding an official clarification.
However, they called it off in the evening after revenue officials appealed to them not to resort to any agitation till November 18.
“In deference to the request made by officials, we have called off the fast,” said Skenitha, wife of Prasath, one of the fishermen sentenced to death. They would plan their next course of action if they did not receive good news by November 18, she said. “If necessary, we will lay siege to the Parliament and launch a fast-unto-death.”
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After the Colombo court delivered the verdict on October 30, the fishing community launched a fast and held a series of agitation with the support of political parties, demanding the release of the “innocent” fishermen.
After a brief lull on Friday, when reports quoted Senthil Thondaman, Minister from the Uva province in Sri Lanka, as having said Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa ordered the release of the fishermen, they resumed the fast against the “stoic” silence maintained by both the Presidential Office in Colombo and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in New Delhi.
“On the one hand, we are happy with reports on the release of the fishermen, but on the other, we are worried as there is no official word from either Sri Lanka or India. It has been an agonising wait for the last one week,” Ms. Skenitha said.
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Fishermen leaders said the family members were in a quandary as officials of the two countries were not willing to confirm the news of the presidential pardon. A couple of days ago, Sri Lankan Deputy Minister Prabha Ganesan said the President had granted pardon, but so it could not be confirmed, the leaders said.
Rameswaram fishermen, who had been abstaining from fishing since October 31, resumed their work on Saturday, satisfied with the steps being taken by the Centre and the State to secure the release of the fishermen.
“We have decided to resume fishing as the livelihood of the fishermen was badly hit during the two weeks,” said P. Sesu Raja, a fishermen leader. The fishermen were scared of the Sri Lankan Navy but had no option, he said.
The Fisheries Department issued more than 600 fishing permits on Saturday.