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The Sri Lankan Navy arrested a group of 10 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, as arrests of Indians continued to soar, reaching record breaking numbers in recent months.
The latest arrest is just one instance in a series of ongoing detentions that have sparked protests and raised serious concerns about the treatment of Indian fishermen by Sri Lanka's Naval authorities. These fishermen, who ventured into the sea from Karaikal Harbour a day before their arrest, represent a broader issue faced by thousands of Indian fishermen along the southern coast of India.
The arrested group, which included four fishermen from Karaikal, five from Mayiladuthurai, and one from Nagapattinam, were taken into Sri Lankan custody for further inquiry. While the identities of the fishermen have not been fully disclosed, the incident highlights an increasingly familiar and disturbing pattern of arrests.
This latest incident adds to a string of alarming reports over the past few years, where Indian fishermen, many of them from Tamil Nadu, have faced not only arrests but also physical abuse and inhumane treatment at the hands of Sri Lankan authorities.
Al Jazeera documented how the number of arrests in 2024 reached to 535, more than double the previous year.
In a recent article published by Al Jazeera, fishermen who were arrested and subsequently released recount instances of torture. The testimony of one such individual Ashoka*, a 23-year-old fisherman from Pamban Island in Tamil Nadu when he was arrested in 2019, recently recounted how Sri Lankan naval who personnel boarded his vessel, brutally beat him and 8 other fishermen with iron rods and wooden sticks, and using guns to threaten them. The officers reportedly shouted at each other to "beat them hard, harder," as the fishermen endured physical violence.
Ashoka's ordeal did not end with the beatings. The fishermen were handcuffed and chained together, the steel cuffs cutting into their skin. For days, they endured harsh conditions in a Sri Lankan detention camp. Only after 15 days did two Indian diplomats from the Indian embassy in Colombo visit the camp, providing basic toiletries such as towels and soap. It wasn’t until a month after their arrest that Ashoka and his companions were finally released.
However, Ashoka's story is not an isolated incident. As of 2024, there has been a marked increase in the number of arrests, with many fishermen experiencing similar mistreatment. The year saw a peak in arrests, sparking public outcry, particularly after five fishermen from Tamil Nadu returned from Sri Lanka with tonsured heads, a humiliating practice imposed on them by Sri Lankan authorities. They were forced to pay hefty fines — 50,000 Sri Lankan rupees ($170) — before being released. Such events only underscore the growing sense of injustice felt by Indian fishermen.
“I wish they would treat us like humans,” said Ashoka.
