Leaders of the Tamil Nadu Fishermen’s Association are planning large-scale protests after Diwali across the state against the regular arrests of their members by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Tamil Nadu Meenavar Peravai Chief Secretary A. Thajudhin told IANS that fishermen’s associations in the state’s coastal districts were staging massive protests to face the frequent arrests.

He said: “The livelihoods of our fishermen are under threat and thousands of people who depend on fishing and related activities are facing serious difficulties. A sense of fear has already set in among fishermen and their families about venturing out to sea.”

He further explained that the new Sri Lankan government is in the process of nationalizing mechanized fishing boats seized from Tamil fishermen in the open sea.

According to Thajudhin, this action will devastate the industry as many fishermen have taken out loans to buy these expensive boats, hoping to repay them through their livelihoods.

In response, the fishermen’s association wrote to the Prime Minister, urging him to intervene and raise the issue with the Sri Lankan government. They called for an end to the practice of arrests on the open sea and seizure of expensive mechanized boats that form the backbone of Tamil fishermen’s livelihoods.

KM Periasamy, a fishermen leader from Ramanathapuram, highlighted the emotional toll on fishing families. “Families are in deep distress due to regular arrests and attacks on the open sea by the Sri Lankan Navy,” he said. “We are planning to meet the Prime Minister and the Union Foreign Minister to discuss issues affecting our people. The seizure of mechanized boats financially paralyzes families who have no means of repaying the loans taken out to buy these boats.

He stressed that Tamil fishermen venture into the high seas for fishing and not for illegal activities, and he urged the Indian government to take up this issue at the highest level with the Sri Lankan authorities.

Since June 16, the Sri Lankan navy has reportedly arrested 425 Tamil fishermen and seized 58 boats.

Many of these fishermen are currently detained in Sri Lankan prisons. Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) President and former Union Minister Anbumani Ramadoss also called on the Union Foreign Minister to look into the open sea arrests of Tamil fishermen by the Sri Lanka Navy .

During a recent visit to Sri Lanka, the Union Foreign Minister raised this issue with the Sri Lankan government, calling on it to take action to prevent further arrests and boat seizures.

Despite these discussions, arrests continued, prompting Tamil Nadu’s fishermen’s associations to plan major protests in coastal districts.