Rameswaram fishermen will hold protests and a hunger strike on August 15 after the Sri Lankan Navy arrested eight fishermen and seized their boats. Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin has urged the Centre to act, highlighting repeated arrests and long-standing maritime disputes threatening livelihoods in the Palk Bay region.
Tensions are once again rising in the Palk Bay region after the Sri Lankan Navy arrested eight Rameswaram fishermen, accusing them of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). In response, the Rameswaram All Fishermen’s Association announced on Sunday a series of protests, culminating in a hunger strike on August 15 — India’s Independence Day.
The fishermen were taken into custody along with their boats, marking yet another incident in the longstanding maritime dispute between India and Sri Lanka. This recurring issue has not only endangered lives at sea but also threatened the livelihoods of thousands of coastal families who rely solely on fishing.
Protest Plan to Escalate
The association held an emergency meeting to address the arrests, during which they passed a resolution demanding the immediate release of the detained fishermen and their boats. “These arrests are destroying our lives. Fishing is our only livelihood, and the constant threat from the Sri Lankan Navy has made our existence uncertain,” a representative of the association said.
The fishermen’s protest schedule is as follows:
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August 11: Indefinite strike to begin.
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August 13: Demonstration near Thangachimadam Valasai Bus Stand.
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August 15: Hunger strike coinciding with Independence Day.
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August 19: Rail blockade at 3 p.m. to press demands.
Leaders say the protests aim to draw nationwide attention to the repeated arrests and seizures in the Palk Bay, urging the Central Government to step up diplomatic engagement with Sri Lanka.
State Government Raises Concerns with Centre
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has joined in calling for urgent action. In a letter to Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, he urged the Centre to intervene diplomatically to stop the recurring arrests.
According to Stalin, 14 more fishermen from Tamil Nadu, along with their boats, were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy on August 6. “This was the 17th such incident this year,” the Chief Minister noted. He also revealed that currently, 237 boats and 80 fishermen from Tamil Nadu remain in Sri Lankan custody.
The loss of boats, Stalin stressed, not only robs fishermen of their main source of income but also strips them of their traditional fishing rights — a practice they have carried out for generations in these waters.
A Decades-Long Dispute
The Palk Bay dispute has persisted for decades, rooted in overlapping territorial claims and fishing rights. The IMBL, drawn in 1974 and 1976 under bilateral agreements, has often been a point of contention, with Indian fishermen alleging that Sri Lankan authorities interpret it too rigidly.
For fishermen from Tamil Nadu, especially those from Rameswaram, crossing into Sri Lankan waters often happens inadvertently due to poor visibility, currents, and the close proximity of the two coastlines. The Sri Lankan Navy, however, has maintained a strict enforcement policy, citing the need to protect its marine resources.
The Indian fishing community has consistently argued for a humanitarian approach, calling for joint fishing arrangements, seasonal access rights, and the return of seized boats.
Call for a Lasting Solution
Fishermen’s associations have long demanded a comprehensive bilateral agreement to resolve the crisis. Such a solution, they say, must include:
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A permanent mechanism to prevent arrests.
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Assured return of seized boats.
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Safeguards for traditional fishing rights in shared waters.
Until such an agreement is reached, they warn, the cycle of arrests, protests, and diplomatic appeals will continue.
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The August protests are expected to be large-scale, with participation from multiple fishing villages in and around Rameswaram. Local leaders hope that the symbolic timing of the hunger strike on Independence Day will add moral weight to their demands, pressing both New Delhi and Colombo to act.
As the protests approach, the Rameswaram fishing community is bracing for another period of uncertainty at sea — and another test of whether diplomacy can outpace confrontation in the troubled waters of the Palk Bay.
