Fishermen from Ramanathapuram district, after a gap of 12 days, have unanimously decided to resume fishing from Saturday.
The fishermen following the arrest of seven Indian fishermen from Rameswaram by Sri Lankan Navy on August 9, announced an indefinite strike urging immediate release of fishermen from the prisons.
The fishermen, as per the resolution taken by the fishermen associations restrained from entering the sea for more than 11 days.
As part of their protest, the fisherfolk community blocked a railway track at Thangachimadam on August 19 demanding the same.
As officials promised the fishermen for a meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and officials of the Ministry of External Affairs, they withdrew the rail roko protest but continued their indefinite strike.
Jesu Raja, a fishermen association leader, said, though their earlier plans was to prolong their strike till the arrested fishermen were released, owing to the assurance from the government representatives and economic situation of the fishermen family, they had decided to return to fishing from Saturday.
“In the last 12 days, due to the strike, fishermen lost crores of business. Despite that we decided to fight for our own who are struggling in Sri Lanka prisons,” he added.
But, as most of them have exhausted their savings and have started to feel the heat of the situation, for the well-being of the fisherfolk community as a whole, they have decided to return to fishing, he noted.
Published – August 22, 2025 07:27 pm IST
