Chennai/Karaikal: After an ordeal of thÂrÂee months, 51 fishermen from Tamil NaÂdu and Karaikal, who were arrested by the Lankan navy, retuÂrnÂed home on ThurÂsdÂay, after Indian Coast Guard (ICG) repatriaÂted them.
The ICG ship VishÂwast that sailed from Chennai on WednÂesÂdÂay with 52 Lankan fiÂsÂhermen reached the designated position of handing and takiÂng over near international maritime bouÂnÂdary line (IMBL) at 11 am on Thursday.
But the Lankan naÂval ship Shakthi and two other coast guÂard veÂssels carrÂyinÂg a total of 51 fishermen arÂrived only at 12.30 pm. Ponnusamy, a fisÂherman from KarÂaiÂkal could not return hoÂme as he was hospÂitÂÂalised.
The reunion was emÂÂotional for the fisÂheÂrmen as their faÂmily members along with TN fisheries miÂnÂister K.A. Jayapal and Nagapattinam coÂÂlÂlector T.K. PonnÂuÂsÂÂamy welcomed theÂm at Karaikal port.
The fishermen — 22 from Karaikal and 30 from Nagapattinam and Pudukottai districts — were arrested by the Lankan naÂvy on October 16 and 20 for allegedly fishing in the Lankan waÂters and were remÂanded to judicial custody in Trincomalee and Jaffna.
Arulselvan, one of the fishermen from KaÂraikal told this newspaper that they had suffered untold hardship inside the prison and were also denied food and other amenities. “Our survival becÂaÂme a questÂion mark and we really thÂank the CeÂnÂtral goÂvÂerÂnment for repatriating us,” he said.
However, the fishermen were upset, as their fishing boats were not returned. Ramesh Kumar, anÂother fisherman said the Lankan authorities would always prÂoÂmise to release them when they took them to court, but only exÂtended their remand. “We continued to faÂce hardship in the prÂison,” he added.
Following the talks by two countries on the fishermen issue, the concurrent repatriation of both countries fishermen took place on Thursday. ICG (east) commander IG Satya Prakash ShÂarma said the coÂast guard has been doing this repatriation on a regular basis.
