Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin wrote to PM Modi urging him to take steps to aid the release of 28 Tamil Nadu fishermen apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. Stalin also requested the PM to help with the release of fishing boats seized by the SL Navy and to bring back the boats released by the island nation to India.
In a letter to PM Modi, Stalin said, “The repeated attempts by the Sri Lankan Navy to infringe on the historic fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen in the Palk Bay must be permanently ended through concerted efforts by the Government of India. I consider that concrete and time-bound plan may be drawn up in this regard urgently.”
“The continuing incidents of incarceration of the fishermen and their boats have created a deep sense of despondency among the fishermen community as fishing is their only means of livelihood,” he said.
Stalin said that to date 104 fishing boats of Tamil Nadu fishermen are in the custody of Sri Lanka. He said that five boats released by the Island nation are yet to reach India. Another 16 Indian fishermen are also in Sri Lankan Prisons.
Under these circumstances, Stalin said, “I urge your personal intervention in this matter and request that the authorities concerned may be directed to take effective steps to secure the release of all the 28 fishermen and their fishing boats that have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy.”
The letter of MK Stalin comes after 12 Tamil Nadu fishermen and their 2 mechanised fishing boats were taken into custody by Sri Lankan Navy.
The arrest of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy has been an ongoing issue for a long time now. The arrest and attacks on Indian fishermen continue despite the diplomatic initiatives taken by the Government of India.