Govts come and go but nobody cares to help us, say Rameswaram fishermen as Tamil Nadu gears up for polls

As Tamil Nadu heads to the polls, Rameswaram fishermen accuse political parties of apathy towards their plight.

Every inch of this land has sight of the sea and for the people, the ocean is their livelihood welcome to Rameswaram, the famous temple town of Tamil Nadu.Most of the locals here are fishermen, setting out to the sea every morning before dawn to catch fish and make a living. But the danger associated with occupation is immense, not just because of the perilous waters but because of the proximity to neighbouring Sri Lanka.For decades, fishermen have faced the consequences either being shot at or arrested at the hands of the Sri Lankan navy. Twenty fishermen, hailing from Rameswaram and Thangachimadam, were arrested from near Katchatheevu on Wednesday night by the Lankan navy.In total, 54 Indian fishermen were arrested and five trawlers seized for allegedly poaching in the country’s territorial waters, an official statement said in Colombo on Thursday.This happens too often with fishermen in Rameswaram; many of them go fishing in the dead of the night and wander unknowingly into Lankan waters. Speaking with India Today, the fishermen say the biggest issue is that there’s no way of telling in the night which are our waters, and which are Lankan’s. B Sheshuraju, who heads a fishermen association, says, “We face so many hardships. It's water all around. How do we know where the Lankan waters begin in the dark? They (navy) come in speed boats and destroy our boats and arrest us and we have nowhere to go for help.”They acknowledge that the issue is complex, but their biggest grouse is political parties claiming that they will solve all their problems and then do nothing.“Nothing has been done to help us. Governments come and go, but nobody has cared to help us. Imagine the families of the fishermen who are arrested and there’s no communication for months,” says Edison, who heads another fishermen association. Thomas, a fisherman, echoes Edison’s view. He says, “Parties make several promises to us for votes but beyond that they forget about us. Nobody has ever been able to solve this issue.”A fisherman who was arrested by the Lankan navy last year tells India Today about what he endured. “I was kept in custody for over 30 days. I had no way of telling my family that I was taken in by the navy.”Just days ago, India abstained from voting in the United Nations Human Rights Council on a resolution against Sri Lanka for crimes committed against Tamils during the country’s long civil war, which ended in 2009. It highlights the tightrope the government has to walk on several issues with neighbours.ALSO READ: Centre betrayed Tamils, says Kamal Haasan on India abstaining from voting on UNHRC resolution against Sri LankaALSO READ: Free iPhone to vacation on Moon: TN candidate grabs eyeballs with unique poll promises