In the wake of the arrest of 21 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry by the Sri Lankan authorities, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday wrote to Union Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar, requesting him to secure their release. Mr. Stalin also reiterated the Tamil Nadu government’s request to resolve the long-standing issue between Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen.
While 12 fishermen on board a mechanised fishing vessel fishing Southeast of Nagapattinam coast were apprehended by the Sri Lankan authorities and taken to Kangesanthurai Naval base on January 31, another mechanised fishing boat from Karaikal in the Union territory of Puducherry was apprehended by Sri Lankan Navy, which had six fishermen from Tamil Nadu and three from Puducherry on board.
In his letter, Mr. Stalin also pointed out that during December last year, 68 fishermen from Tamil Nadu were apprehended in three incidents by Sri Lankan Navy and were released recently after strenuous efforts taken by Tamil Nadu and the Union government, and they were still awaiting repatriation. A copy of the letter was shared with the media.
“In this situation, the present incident of arrest of Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy sends panic and shock among the fishermen community. Prolonged incarceration of our fishermen in the Sri Lankan jails is subjecting them and their families back home to untold misery and many of the families are being pushed into abject poverty in the absence of their sole bread winner,” Mr. Stalin contended.
The Chief Minister urged for the Union Minister’s personal intervention in this matter and further request the Union of India to find “tangible mechanisms to permanently resolve this long-standing issue” between fishermen of India and Sri Lanka.
