A peace committee meeting between officials of the Revenue, Police and Fisheries departments and leaders of fishermen associations was convened in Rameswaram on Thursday (February 27, 2025) to convince the latter to drop or postpone their proposed indefinite strike from Friday (February 28, 2025). The talks, however, failed, with the associations going ahead with the strike in protest against the frequent arrests of fishermen and the seizing of their trawlers by the Sri Lankan Navy.
The fishermen leaders at the meeting said they would not venture into the sea unless there was a firm commitment from the Union government with regard to their demands. “Let a [Union] minister come down here and give us an assurance on our demands,” Jesu Raja, a fishermen leader, said.
Mr. Raja said fishermen have been struggling since the 1980s, and since 2014, over 500 boats have been impounded and hundreds of fishermen engaged in fishing in the traditional Palk Straits arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy. “We require a clarification from the Union government as to whether we can venture into the sea or not,” he said.
“If ‘yes’ is New Delhi’s answer, then they should bring home the arrested fishermen and their boats. If the answer is ‘no’, then the Union government should spell out the alternative for us. Our livelihood is at stake. For long, fishermen have remained calm and been witnessing the humiliation meted out to them on false charges.”Jesu RajaFishermen leader
The fishermen leaders had already suggested they be allowed to fish in Katchatheevu for the next 100 years on a lease. They had also requested for a meeting with fishermen from the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Though former External Affairs Minister Sushma had promised this, the meeting never took place, they said.
Sit-in protest
Another fishermen leader Sagayaraj, who was at the peace meeting, told The Hindu: “We will begin our protest on Friday. We will stage the sit-in round the clock in front of Thangachimadam Valasai bus stand.”
“Unless there was a firm assurance on safety and security, there is no point in venturing into the sea, as the Sri Lankan Navy personnel have not only been harming us, but also making our lives miserable. We have lost everything. There is nothing more to give up except our lives,” he said.
Many women from fishing families will also join the strike on Friday, Mr. Sagayaraj said, adding it would be conducted in a democratic way, seeking a categorical response from the governments.
RTI response
According to an RTI Act response obtained by a fishermen leader, an officer from the Consulate General of Jaffna has informed that since 2014, 3,288 fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for crossing the IMBL. A total of 558 boats were seized and 365 among them were nationalised. The RTI said that 21 boats, which were ordered for release by the Sri Lankan courts, remained in the Naval Port. So far, 38 fishermen were languishing in jails in Sri Lanka.
Losses incurred
The leaders also referred to two hearings with respect to the arrested fishermen coming up on March 5 and March 7, 2025, in the courts of Sri Lanka. “We want all the arrested fishermen and the boats to be released by the Sri Lankan government. Moreover, the government should also give us compensation for the boats impounded in the past. Many of them were auctioned and for those, which required repairs, the fishermen had to spend money. Each mechanised boat costs around ₹40 lakh,” Mr. Raja said.
In recent cases, the arrested fishermen were also jailed and fined. “Where do we go for the money, when we are fighting for our survival as daily wagers,” he asked.
