Tamil Nadu fishermen problem persists, Sri Lanka holds 22
22 more fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy early on Sunday.
Pudukottai: A day after a delegation of fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, urging him to prevail upon Sri Lanka to release their colleagues lodged in jails there, 22 more were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy early on Sunday, triggering tension in coastal hamlets in Pudukottai district.
The 22 fishermen, all hailing from Kottaipattinam and Jagathapattinam fishermen hamlets in Pudukottai district, were arrested by Sri Lankan naval personnel for allegedly fishing in their country’s territorial waters and taken to Kangesanthurai port along with their six boats, sources said.
Fishermen in the state have been demanding the immediate release of 227 fishermen of Nagapattinam, Pudukottai and Karaikkal districts, detained by the Sri Lankan navy over the past few months and even went on a brief strike.
Fishermen belonging to eight fishermen hamlets in Nagapattinam taluk embarked on an indefinite fast on December 20, demanding the immediate release of all 227 fishermen and 77 fishing boats detained by Sri Lanka.
They called this off on December 23 after they were persuaded by DMK parliamentary party leader T.R. Baalu, promising to arrange for a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Subsequently, a delegation of 11 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry led by T.R. Baalu met the Prime Minister on Saturday and urged him to prevail upon Sri Lanka to release their colleagues lodged in jails there.