After a week long strike the Tamil Nadu fishermen from Rameswaram have resumed fishing today. The fishermen who were striking demanding the release of their boats which has been detained by Sri Lanka decided to end their strike because their livelihood is affected because of the strike.
 
Fishing boats are the lifelines of the fishermen and more than 115 of their boats have been taken in by the Sri Lanka. The strike that urged the government to step in and resolve the issue, and they also had another demand. The demand to get the Indian fishermen from Pudukottai’s Jagadapattinam who were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy to be released.

The fishermen also wanted their traditional right to fish near Katchatheevu and Palk straits. The prolonged suffering of the fishermen has made many of them to leave their natives and migrate to do other odd jobs. “we are born to be fishermen. But due to the present condition, many of them are migrating to other states as daily workers. We are educating our children so that they don’t suffer like us,” said a fisherman from Rameshwaram.

Every year hundreds of fishermen and their boats are taken into custody by Sri Lanka and they have been released only after the government intervention. This regular struggle of the fishermen needs to be stopped is one of the demands of the fishermen in the state.

Source: India Today

-Agencies