'Immense Distress, Suffering': CM Stalin Writes To Jaishankar On Sri Lankan Navy Detaining 37 TN Fishermen

This incident is part of a series of recent detentions, with 10 fishing boats and 64 fishermen from Tamil Nadu being apprehended by the Sri Lankan navy just this month.

File Photo of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin

Source : PTI

The Sri Lankan navy has arrested 37 Tamil Nadu fishermen and confiscated five fishing trawlers, alleging that they had entered Sri Lankan territorial waters, PTI reported citing local fisheries official on Sunday. This incident is part of a series of recent detentions, with 10 fishing boats and 64 fishermen from Tamil Nadu being apprehended by the Sri Lankan navy just this month.

In response to these recurring detentions, Chief Minister M K Stalin has written a letter to Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging him to take the necessary measures to secure the release of all the detained fishermen and their fishing vessels.

Stalin highlighted the distress and suffering faced by the fishing community, emphasising their heavy reliance on fishing for their livelihood. In his letter to Jaishankar, he expressed concern over the frequent arrests and their impact on the fishermen. Stalin conveyed the sentiment of Tamil Nadu's fishermen, who feel their voices are being marginalised, and he called upon the Indian government to advocate more strongly for the rights and safety of these fishermen.

"As you are aware, our fishermen are solely dependent on their fishing activity for livelihood and these frequent arrests are causing immense distress and suffering to the fishermen community," the letter read, according to PTI. 

"I wish to state that Tamil Nadu fishermen feel that their voices are on the wane, and I feel that the Government of India should stand more vocally for our fishermen's rights and speak for their safety," CM Stalin said in the letter.

Furthermore, Chief Minister Stalin reiterated the demand to safeguard the traditional fishing rights of Indian fishermen in the Palk Bay region. Despite ongoing calls to cease the arrests and boat seizures, the Sri Lankan navy continues to detain Indian fishermen. Stalin called for "solid diplomatic initiatives without further delay to end the arrests," the PTI report said.