Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Tuesday wrote a letter urging external affairs minister S Jaishankar to intervene and help secure the release of the 17 fishermen from Tamil Nadu, apprehended by the Sri Lankan navy, reported news agency ANI.
In the letter, Stalin stated that two fishing boats and 17 fishermen were apprehended near Kakada Theevu on December 24 by the Sri Lankan navy and taken to a naval camp for further investigation for allegedly fishing across the border.
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The letter pointed out that there had been two separate incidents recently where allegedly six unidentified Sri Lankan nationals attacked fishermen in Kodiyakkarai Village, Nagapattinam district.
Elaborating on the incidents, he said, “In this outrageous incident, three out of six fishermen who sailed in two country crafts were injured and their belongings such as GPS equipment, VHF equipment, fishing net, mobile phone and their fish catch were robbed from their fishing boats by the attackers.”
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Stalin also emphasised in the letter that in 2024, 530 fishermen had been arrested and 71 boats were confiscated.
{{/usCountry}}Stalin also emphasised in the letter that in 2024, 530 fishermen had been arrested and 71 boats were confiscated.
{{/usCountry}}“These kind of frequent incidents of arrests and attacks make the lives of our fishermen, who depend solely on fishing in their traditional waters, highly uncertain and dangerous,” the letter read, stating that a sense of fear had been created among the fishing folk.
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CM Stalin also requested EAM Jaishankar to take action through diplomatic channels so that the fishermen's lives are not endangered.
“I therefore request you to kindly take concerted steps through appropriate diplomatic channels to secure the immediate release of all the arrested fishermen and their fishing boats,” the letter said.
On December 23, the mechanical fishing boats from Rameswaram were fishing in the Kakada Island area in the Palk Bay sea. The two boats belonged to V Anthony Aaron of Thangachimadam Victorianagar and A Poondiraj of Thangachimadam Manthopu, reported ANI.