In Ramanathapuram, a distressing situation has unfolded, highlighting the plight of individuals engaged in the fishing business in Oman and Kuwait who now find themselves trapped and in need of urgent assistance to return home. Their voices are raised in a mass appeal protest scheduled for February 26th, set to take place at the Ramanathapuram Collector’s office. Karunamoorthy, the District Secretary of the Maritime Workers’ Union, sheds light on the dire circumstances faced by these individuals:
Among those affected are Karthik (22), Hariharabandi (43), Morpannai Chanduru (20), and Pasipattanam Vinodkumar (27), hailing from Tiruppalaikudi. These individuals were employed as contract laborers in Kuwait, where they became embroiled in a drug smuggling case, leading to their arrest and subsequent imprisonment.
Additionally, the plight extends to Tiruppalaikudi’s Saravanakumar (29), Ramesh (37), Muthukrishnan (45), Mammadhu (48), and Morppannai Vairachelvam (36). These five individuals were engaged as contract fishermen in the Almasira Island area of Oman since September 2023. Unfortunately, their employer has subjected them to harassment and exploitation, withholding their rightful wages and impeding their return to their homeland.
Despite their desperate appeals to the district administration for intervention and rescue, no concrete action has been initiated to alleviate their distressing circumstances. Consequently, a mass appeal protest has been organized, slated to convene at the Ramanathapuram Collector’s office on February 26th. The primary objective of this protest is to implore authorities to take decisive action towards the safe repatriation of fishermen stranded in Oman and Kuwait, ensuring their well-being and swift return to their families and communities.