Rameswaram fishermen attacked, driven away by Sri Lankan Navy

MADURAI: Several fishermen of Rameswaram were on the receiving end of Sri Lankan naval attack allegedly occurred while fishing on high seas near Katchatheevu on Sunday night.

Many fishermen aboard boats returned to shore at Rameswaram in the early hours of Monday fearing an attack. The affected fishermen claimed that the Sri Lankan Navy personnel surrounded seven boats, which set off Rameswaram coast on Sunday morning, near Katchatheevu, hurled empty bottles and stones to eventually drive the Tamil Nadu fishermen back to shores. To safeguard themselves, many severed nets from their boats and returned to shore, sources said.

NJ Bose, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Fishermen Association, said nearly after a gap of two weeks following weather restrictions, fishing resumed on Sunday and the Lankan naval attack on Tamil Nadu fishermen seems to be a never-ending episode. Adding to woes of Rameswaram fishermen, he said many fishing boats from Kanyakumari, Chennai, Mangalore and Kerala and several unregistered boats had been engaged in fishing at Rameswaram coast.

Rameswaram, a small island, has a fleet of 650 registered boats, relying on the limited sea surface, which is closer to Sri Lanka, to earn their likelihoods.

Due to the intervention of alien boats in coastal waters off Rameswaram, the native fishermen were forced to sail deep towards the vicinity of IMBL. Even, many boats had no anchorage permission.

“However, the authorities concerned from India should convene talks with their counterparts in neighbouring Sri Lanka to eventually stave off such naval attacks,” he said.