Fishermen and their family members staged a protest in Pamban near Rameswaram urging the authorities to secure the release of 12 fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan navy.
| Photo Credit: L. BALACHANDAR
Demanding the release of 12 fishermen from the Sri Lankan prisons, the families and fishermen association leaders from Pamban resorted to an agitation here on Friday.The agitators said that the Sri Lankan Navy personnel had arrested them on charges of poaching and using banned fish nets. Three months had passed since they were sent to jail. The fishermen were languishing in the prisons and faced hardships.The families, back home, who depended on their kith and kin were in depression. The children and elders were facing psychological issues. At a time when the fishermen were faced with livelihood issues, such humiliation was harsh and terrified the families and the survival was at threat.The Union government should not remain a mute spectator and take it up with their counterpart in Sri Lanka. The fishermen should be released forthwith and brought back home safely, they urged and demanded the newly elected government in Tamil Nadu to help them in this hour of crisis.As the information was communicated, State Minister For Environment V K Rajeev spoke to the representatives over phone from Chennai. According to a press release from the District Collectorate, the minister had assured the fishermen that he would convey their grievances to the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. The government would stand with the fishermen community and take all steps to restore peace in their families, he added.The Union government would be briefed about the issues faced by the fishermen in the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, a senior fisheries department official said and added that they had prepared details from the mechanised and country boat fishermen. Published - May 22, 2026 07:38 pm IST
