NE NEWS SERVICE
RAMANATHAPURAM, JULY 25
The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 9 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu for allegedly violating its maritime boundary, a state Fisheries department official here said on Tuesday. Two mechanised boats were also seized.
The fishermen, belonging to Mandapam in the district, set sail for fishing on Monday morning and were apprehended late last night between Katchatheevu and Neduntheevu, the official added.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government said Chief Minister M K Stalin will attend a state conference of fishermen’s associations here next month that will discuss the issue of arrests and impounding of boats.
Fisheries minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan said that Stalin will participate in the meeting scheduled on August 18, based on an invitation from the fishermen representatives.
இலங்கைக் கடற்படையினரால் கைது செய்யப்பட்டுள்ள தமிழ்நாட்டைச் சேர்ந்த மீனவர்களை விடுவித்திடவும், அவர்களது படகினைத் திரும்ப ஒப்படைக்கவும் உரிய தூதரக நடவடிக்கைகளை மேற்கொள்ள வேண்டுமென வலியுறுத்தி மாண்புமிகு ஒன்றிய அமைச்சர் @DrSJaishankar அவர்களுக்கு மாண்புமிகு முதலமைச்சர் @mkstalin… pic.twitter.com/mJyqBS2qb2
— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) July 25, 2023
An official release quoted him as saying that the CM has repeatedly taken up the fishermen issue with Prime Minister Narendra Moid and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar through written communication as well as over the telephone.
He recalled that Stalin had written last week to the PM, urging him to take up with the then visiting Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, protecting the traditional fishing rights of the Tamil Nadu fishermen.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday wrote to the union external affairs ministry seeking diplomatic efforts to resolve the fishermen issue.
Expressing “deep concern” and “disappointment” over the continued arrest of fishermen of Tamil Nadu by Sri Lankan Navy, Stalin, in his demi official letter to union external affairs minister S Jaishankar, said, “I had urged the Prime Minister to take up the matter with utmost importance during the visit of the President of Sri Lanka to our country. I had hoped that this visit would provide an opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue and find a lasting solution that respects the rights and livelihoods of both Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen.”
“However, it has come to my attention that despite the high-level interactions between the two nations, the situation on the ground remains unchanged,” the CM said, drawing the MEA’s attention to apprehending of nine fishermen from Tamil Nadu, along with two mechanised boats bearing Registration numbers IND-TN11-MM-837 and IND-TN11-MM-257, by the Sri Lankan Navy on July 24.
The CM requested the MEA to “take all possible diplomatic efforts to ensure the release of the apprehended fishermen, secure the return of their seized boats, and re-emphasise the significance of finding a lasting and mutually acceptable solution to the issue of fishing rights in the Palk Bay region.” Adding that the fishing communities in Tamil Nadu continue to face immense hardships due to the recurrent arrests and seizure of their boats, the CM cautioned that the incidents strain bilateral relations and inflict severe socio-economic repercussions on the affected families.
