Hunger strike starts in TN against arrest of fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy

Chennai, Feb 24: Fishermen of Thangachimadam and Rameswaram areas in Tamil Nadu along with their families have started a relay hunger on Saturday against the arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy

“Sri Lankan government has jailed five of our fishermen. They have been sentenced in between six months to two years. We have not ventured into the sea for the last eight days now,” P Jesu Raja, a fishermen leader, told IANS.

He said that the hunger strike will continue till all the fishermen are not released unconditionally and an assurance given that the Sri Lankan government will not arrest fishermen anymore.

The fishermen association leaders said that they will continue with the strike even if they die due to starvation. Jesu Raja appealed to the Central government to immediately intervene to get the fishermen released along with their mechanised boats.