Within 24 hours of Ranil Wickremasinghe taking over as the Prime Minister of Island Nation Sri Lanka, its Navy struck in the Bay of Bengal, taking 8 Tamil fishermen (hailing from Rameswaram) into custody for no apparent reason. The arrested fishermen have since been taken to Kankeyanthurai Port.

Political turmoil in Lanka, which lasted for 50 days, came to an end only late last week when Ranil Wickremasinghe staged a comeback and took over as Prime Minister. That Tamil fishermen have been arrested by the Lankan Navy within 24 hours of him taking over has sent shock-waves among fishermen living along the Tamil Nadu coast.

The fishermen were fishing at Neduntheevu when they were waylaid by the Lankan Navy personnel and arrested on charges of foraying into Lankan waters. Their boats were also seized and taken to Kankeyanthurai Port.

Fishermen expressed their anguish at the continuing incidents of arrests by the Lankan Navy and hoped that the State and Central Govts. would act fast to stop this.