Chennai: Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin dashed off a letter to Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan appealing to him to take necessary steps to release all fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy and fishing boats seized by them. "I am sending this letter through our Parliamentary delegation led by TR Baalu MP to bring to your notice the serious issue of repeated arrest of our Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy. The frequency of such incidents has been increasing at an alarming rate in the past few months."
On October 28, 37 fishermen from Tamil Nadu, along with their five fishing boats bearing registration numbers IND-TN-10-MM-860, IND-TN-10-MM-985, IND-TN-10-MM-915, IND-TN-10-MM-717 and IND-TN-10-MM-972, were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. "As you are aware, our fishermen are dependent on fishing for their livelihood and these frequent arrests are causing immense distress and suffering to the fishermen. As I have pointed out in my letter, such acts of the Sri Lankan Navy have created pressure and panic among fishermen in the State. I wish to state that Tamil Nadu fishermen feel that their voices are not heard and I feel that the Central government should take this issue seriously with the Sri Lankan government to ensure the safety of our fishermen and protect their traditional fishing rights in the Palk Bay region."
In October 2023 alone, so far, 64 Tamil Nadu fishermen, along with their 10 fishing boats, have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. Despite our persistent demand to stop these arrests and seizure of boats, the arrest of our fishermen continues unabated. Therefore, I urge you on behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu, to immediately initiate diplomatic initiatives without further delay to end this." "I once again request you take the necessary steps to secure the release of all the fishermen and their fishing boats that were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy at the earliest.
