'I thought I would die in Sri Lankan jail'

'Jail was very crowded, we were 56 people crammed together. All 56 of us had to use only one toilet.'

On December 18, 2021, 56 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy for fishing in its waters.

The fishermen were taken to court and remanded in jail.

On January 25, 2022, the court released all the 56 fishermen, but only nine have actually come back home. The rest are in isolation in the island-nation in a military camp.

They are said to have tested positive for COVID-19 and will come back after their isolation period ends and they test negative again.

A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com spoke to three fishermen who have come back to India. This is their account about life in a Lankan prison.

A Henry, 33, Thangachimadam, Ramanathapuram district

I have been fishing for the last six years.

This is the first time I have been arrested by the Sri Lankan navy.

We were arrested near Katchatheevu (an island between the two countries that was gifted by India to Sri Lanka).

We were taken to the Myladi harbour in Lanka. At 5.30 pm in the evening, we were taken to court and then to jail.

At the harbour, they took our coronavirus test. They also took our blood for other tests.

All 56 of us were in one jail. We got limited food three times a day which was not good; imagine food in a small tiffin box.

There was 24 hours running water in the bathroom and there was one toilet for 56 of us.

Indian embassy officials first met us at the Myladi harbour where we landed.

They gave us a lungi and a T-shirt for us to wear.

When we were in jail Indian embassy officials met us after protests in Rameswaram. They met us after 15 days on January 6, 2022.

The embassy officials took our photos so that they could issue us passports. We were released on January 25, 2022, by the Lankan court.

They had taken our coronavirus test. They said only nine of us were negative and the rest had tested positive.

Nine of us went to the immigration office. We stayed there for 10 days.

After that we took a flight to Chennai, from there we took a train to Rameswaram and came home.

It will take me two weeks of proper home food for my health to become normal. I will decide whether I want to go back to sea after that.

Smileson, 30, Thangachimadam, Ramanathapuram district

I have studied up to 8th standard. I have been going fishing for the last 10 years.

This is the first time I have been arrested by the Sri Lankan navy. We were arrested near the border, near Katchatheevu.

We were taken to the Myladi harbour in Lanka. Indian embassy officials met us there. Knowing that we will be hungry they gave us bread and some snacks.

They also gave us toothpaste, soap, oil and other toiletries that we need for our daily needs.

At the harbour, they took our coronavirus test and then took us to court that remanded us to jail.

In jail two days later they took our coronavirus test again. We were arrested on December 18 and our next court date was January 27, 2022.

We were released on January 25. They had taken our coronavirus test two days earlier.

They told us that only nine of us had tested negative and the rest were positive.

The positive cases were taken to a military camp. Nine of us who tested negative were taken to the immigration office. We stayed there for 10 days before returning home.

In the jail, they used to give us black coffee with sugar at 5.30 am. They had given us all a plate and a cup. Both were new.

At 6.30 am they used to give us white rice which was not cooked properly. It was like eating raw rice. We had to eat that with coconut chutney.

At 1 pm they used to give us chamba (red) rice which was not edible. It used to stink.

The curry was chilLi powder dissolved in water. They also gave us one vegetable.

Sometimes we got one chicken piece which was not cooked properly.

Sometimes we got fish which was cooked without cleaning. Imagine taking a fish out of the ocean and cooking it without cleaning.

Some of us vomited, some threw the food away and starved. Dinner was served at 4.30 pm in the evening.

It was the same red rice that we got for lunch. We had diabetes patients amongst us so we complained. Then they gave us white rice.

In the immigration office, there was one watchman to look after us. The food was okay.

The food was not cooked properly, but they ate the same food as us.

In the morning we used to get rice with coconut or some other chutney. For lunch, we used to get white rice, vegetable or chicken or fish. The food was good but not enough.

For breakfast, we had bread or idiyappam. Dinner was the same as lunch.

In the jail, we were 56 people crammed together. It was very crowded. The bathroom had running water always.

There were three toilets, two were under repair and so 56 of us had to use only one toilet.

In the immigration office, the bathroom and toilet were good.

When I was born, instead of crying I smiled, and so my parents named me Smileson.

We are six boys. Only two of us are educated, the rest of us go fishing like my dad.

I have not decided what I want to do next.

Sakthivel, 36, Purankottai, near Sayulkudi

I have studied up to the 6th standard. I have been fishing for 17 years. I am married and have two daughters.

This is the first time I have been arrested by the Sri Lankan navy. The food was so bad in jail that I thought I would die there.

There were three toilets, but only one was functioning. All 56 of us had to use only one toilet.

If anyone fell ill, the jailer gave us tablets. No doctor came to see us.

In the immigration office food was better but very limited. It was never enough.

You know the 47 people who have been isolated there. One of my friends spoke to them.

They said they are getting only 'two meals' a day. My friend said he was crying on the phone.

We were locked up the whole day. In the morning they let us walk into the compound for a little while.

I have not decided if I will go back to sea again though I don't know any other profession.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com