Fri Dec 06 10:21:03 UTC 2024: ## Tamil Nadu Fishermen Launch Two-Day Strike Over Sri Lankan Arrests
**RAMESWARAM, Tamil Nadu, December 6, 2024** – Fishermen in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, have launched a two-day strike, beginning December 7th, to protest the arrest of 14 fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy. The fishermen, arrested on December 4th for alleged poaching, are demanding their immediate release and the return of their impounded trawlers.
Leaders of various fishermen associations met on Friday and passed three resolutions. Besides the release of the fishermen and their vessels, they called for an end to lengthy jail sentences handed down by Sri Lankan courts under the pretext of “repeat offenses.” They also urged the Tamil Nadu state government to provide compensation to the families of fishermen currently imprisoned in Sri Lanka.
Sesu Raja, a prominent fishermen leader, criticized the Indian government for its inaction, alleging that promises made to the community, including a high-level meeting with Sri Lankan fishermen, have gone unfulfilled. He highlighted the hardships faced by the fishing community, stating that their livelihoods are at stake. Raja noted that issues intensified after the Sri Lankan civil war, despite the conflict’s conclusion.
The fishermen accuse the Indian government of prioritizing export figures from the fishing industry while neglecting the plight of those directly involved. The two-day strike serves as a forceful demonstration of their frustration and demands for lasting solutions to the ongoing conflict with Sri Lanka over fishing rights in the Palk Bay.
First Piper 