Thoothukudi (Tamil Nadu): The Maldivian Coast Guard has arrested at least 12 fishermen from Tamil Nadu with the distressed families appealing the government to take up the issue with the neighbouring country. The fishermen were arrested by the Maldivian Coast Guard on Oct 20 after they inadvertently intruded into the Maldivian waters while fishing.
Subsequently, the Maldivian Coast Guard arrested the 12 fishermen and confiscated their boat. The families of the 12 fishermen came to know about their arrest after seven days of their imprisonment, they families said. Vijayalakshmi, the mother of one of the arrested fisherman Adi Narayanan told ETV Bharat that they had gone to the sea to catch fish on Oct 1.
The Maldives Coast Guard captured them from a nearby island, Vijayalakshmi. She said that a woman called from Myanmar and informed about the arrest of the fishermen. She said that the woman told her that her son was safe and would be sent to his hometown once they complete the formalities. Vijayalakshmi said that the assurances by the woman turned out to be false as none of the 12 residents has been released so far.
Also read: 27 Indian fishermen held for alleged poaching in Sri Lanka's territorial waters
She appealed that the Union government and the Tamil Nadu government should immediately intervene to release the boat and the fishermen. Secretary of the Deep Sea Fishery Workers' Union, Pugazh Selvamani, told ETV Bharat that the 12 fishermen went deep sea fishing from Tharuvaikulam fishing harbor on October 1.
He said that the Maldivian coast guard arrested the Indian fishermen on the 20th of October, but the Union government learned about it only on the 27th of October. “As soon as we got the information, we informed the Fisheries Department officials, Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister Anitha R. Radhakrishnan, MPs, State BJP President Annamalai, and Union Minister L. Murugan.
They have also said that they have spoken to the Union External Affairs Minister,” Selvamani said. He said that the seized barge is worth Rs 1.50 crore. Selvamani said that Antony Jayabalan and other members of their association have rushed to Maldives on behalf of the association to secure the release of the fishermen.
The arrested fishermen include Udhayakumar (age 31) of Rameswaram, Michael Raj (age 21) of Vembar area of Tuticorin (Thoothukudi), Anthony Ansel Christopher (age 22), and Adisaya Paraloka Dhiraviyam (age 25) were caught in a boat belonging to Michael Bakiyaraj from Tharuvaikulam for deep sea fishing from Tharuvaikulam fishing village near Tuticorin on October 1. Madhesh Kumar (age 15) from Madurai, Antony Selvasekaran (age 23), Adi Narayanan (age 20), Mahesh Kumar (age 24) from Tharuvaikulam area, Anbu Soosai Michael (age 48), Vignesh (age 31), and Mani Sakthi from Siluvaipatti area.
