Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, famous for the revered Ramanathaswamy temple is also the setting for an ongoing friction with Sri Lanka. For over 50 years now, since the maritime boundary had been settled between India and Sri Lanka, fishing boats from either side keep crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line. Fishermen sailing from Rameswaram harbour regularly get arrested, their boats get confiscated and they spend months in jail. Sometimes they are mistreated and physically tortured. It is the curse of those who fish out of Rameswaram. So, why does this keep happening? Why do the Rameswaram trawlers cross into Sri Lankan waters? Why before every election, politicians make promises that they never keep? And most importantly, who will the fishing community of Rameswaram trust to solve their festering problem. This is NDTV Focus on Rameswaram – The Fishermen’s Curse.
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