Fishermen decide to start indefinite hunger strike on Feb. 28

At the all fishermen associations and fishing workers meeting organised at Thangachimadam near here on Tuesday, a unanimous decision to launch an indefinite hunger strike on February 28 was taken. Jesu Raja, leader of All Mechanised Boats Fishermen Association, said the hunger strike that would start on Friday would be continued till a positive announcement came from the Union government regarding release of the arrested Tamil fishermen by the Sri Lankan government.

At the all fishermen associations and fishing workers meeting organised at Thangachimadam near here on Tuesday, a unanimous decision to launch an indefinite hunger strike on February 28 was taken.

Jesu Raja, leader of All Mechanised Boats Fishermen Association, said the hunger strike would continue till a positive announcement came from the Union government regarding release of the arrested Tamil fishermen by the Sri Lankan government.

The furore among the fisherfolk was not just for the recent arrests of fishermen and seizures of boats and fishing equipment, but it had swelled over the last 11 years, he added.

“Only during these 11 years, the captured boats are not being returned by the Sri Lankan government. Earlier, even when the fishermen were arrested, and boats were seized, such incidents took place only once in six or more months,” Mr. Jesu Raja said.

Even then, following the intervention of the Indian government, the fishermen were released and the boats returned to their owners, he recalled.

Those were the times when the Sri Lankan war was at its peak, but the fishermen arrests were not rampant. But now, when the Indian and the Sri Lankan governments were in a good relationship, the act of the government of the island nation was threatening, he said.

“Our demand to the Union government is to chair a meeting with the Tamil and the Sri Lankan fishermen, along with the Sri Lankan government representatives, to put an end to the issue,” he noted.