NAGERCOIL: Six Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, languishing in Iran for several months, returned home yesterday. They arrived at Chennai airport on Sunday morning. The fishermen said that they had been fishing in Iran but in the last two months they were left high and dry when their sponsor declined to provide them wage, food and medical facilities. “It was because we could not get a good catch,” said the fishermen.
They then appealed to the Indian embassy to help them return to India. The six fishermen were identified as Varghese from Chinnathura in Kanniyakumari district, Arumugam from Tindivanam in Villuppuram district, Ezhumalai from Cuddalore, Sathish and Chelladurai from Thanjavur and Justin from Kochuthope, Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.
Rehabilitation and Welfare of Non Resident Tamils commissionerate officials received them at the airport and sent to their native places. Deputy Director K Ramesh said, “After dropping fishermen at Cuddalore and Tindivanam, the fishermen from Thanjavur, Kanniyakumari and Thiruvananthapuram were taken in a car to Tiruchy, from where they left in buses. Commissionerate of Rehabilitation and Welfare of Non Resident Tamils had arranged the car, bus tickets and food.
Reaching home on Sunday evening, Varghese, from Chinnathura, Kanniyakumari told TNIE that he and the others had gone to Iran in the beginning of March last year, based on the understanding of receiving share (wage) for fishing catch. The boat owner was an Iran national. “The boat owner did not give us our share. The boat captain, who was from Tamil Nadu, supported his decision,” he said.
He said that three other fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry returned home by paying money but they could not. “We did not have money. The Indian embassy helped us return home,” he said. The fisherman noted he and Justin were given`1 lakh for going to Iran. “Now we are penniless,” he said.