Six fishermen who had been imprisoned in the Andaaman Islands for over two years returned to the island last week after they were released by the Indian government.
The skipper of the boat said at a point of time the group feared they would be eaten by their fellow prisoners.
The group left Trincomalee in February 2010 expecting to return in a short time. However this was not to be.
Skipper of the trawler Preethi Kumara said he remembered that fateful day -they had been at sea for around 10 days- when they found themselves surrounded by Indian coast guard vessels. Thereafter they were taken into custody and two days later handed over to the police.
“We were held in a prison which was meant to hold 350 prisoners. However it held more than 1,000 persons”, he said. “In the morning we had plain tea, at around 10.30 am we were served rice boiled with dhal. A similar meal was served for dinner too he said.
Water for drinking and ablutions was severely limited he said.
Mr. Preethi Kumara added the group found solace in the letters they received from their families and the visit paid by the Ven. Bendiwewa Diyasena Thera, chief incumbent of the Samudrasanna temple in Kandakuliya and the fast unto death he undertook in a bid to have them released.
He said a number of foreign nationals held in the same facility were in the habit of eating geckoes and this made them very afraid that they too could be eaten by those individuals.
He thanked those who worked for their release including President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunge and officials of the Fisheries Ministry. |
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