Ramanathapuram’s fishing shores fell silent on Saturday as unions launched a widespread strike against the Sri Lankan Navy’s latest crackdown. Twenty-two Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu were apprehended mid-week, igniting outrage and demands for urgent central government intervention to protect traditional maritime rights.
Details emerged of the dramatic seizures in the contested Palk Strait waters. Operating near sensitive islands like Katchatheevu, four trawlers were impounded, their crews from key fishing hubs Rameshwaram and Mandapam hauled to court. A Sri Lankan judge ordered 15 days’ custody, a routine yet infuriating outcome for locals who view these waters as their ancestral domain.
The response was swift and unified. Over 400 protesters converged in Thangachimadam, shutting down sea voyages for the day. Leader Jesu Raja lambasted New Delhi for its perceived apathy, pointing to repeated incidents met with diplomatic silence. He invoked the recent high-profile visit by Sri Lanka’s President to India, questioning why the fishermen’s crisis wasn’t tabled prominently.
‘Prime Minister Modi must intervene personally to halt this harassment,’ Raja asserted. For generations, Palk Strait has sustained Ramanathapuram’s economy, but escalating arrests threaten collapse. Dozens of boats lie rusting in Sri Lankan yards, with over 100 still detained, crippling owners under loan burdens.
The human cost cuts deep. Families scramble to fund fines imposed by foreign courts; unpaid, they spell extended jail terms. This cycle burdens spouses and children with anxiety and poverty, eroding community fabric.
The agitation culminates in clear appeals: negotiate lasting pacts, expedite releases, and reclaim vessels. With livelihoods hanging by a thread, the strike amplifies a long-standing call for maritime equity between the neighbors.