11 fishermen detained by SL Navy, CM Stalin seeks immediate release
The arrests were made in the early hours of Thursday when those fishermen were fishing near Neduntheevu. The detained boat bore registration – ‘IND-TN-10-MM-265’.
CM Stalin
MADURAI/CHENNAI: Eleven Tamil Nadu fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy for trespassing into their territorial waters. A mechanised boat, in which the fishermen sailed, was also detained.
The arrests were made in the early hours of Thursday when those fishermen were fishing near Neduntheevu. The detained boat bore registration – ‘IND-TN-10-MM-265’.
The fishermen had set out to sea off Rameswaram on Wednesday after obtaining permit tokens from the Fisheries Department, sources said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister MK Stalin urged the Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to intensify diplomatic efforts to prevent recurrent arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen and secure the immediate release of all fishermen and their boats under detention of Sri Lanka.
Drawing the union government's attention to ‘unending apprehensions’ of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, the Chief Minister referred to Thursday’s arrest and strongly reiterated his request for intensified diplomatic efforts and arranging for a tripartite dialogue.
"I request you to extend all possible consular and legal assistance to secure the immediate release of all those fishermen under detention and their fishing boats from the Sri Lankan authorities," said Stalin, in his letter to the EAM.
Pointing out that the Sri Lankan Navy has apprehended 147 fishermen and 19 boats in 11 separate incidents in the last three months, Stalin recalled the EAM's February 29 dated letter informing that he had personally raised the issue of frequent arrests of 'our' fishermen with the Lankan President during his visit to India in December 2024 and assured that the Union Government shall take every possible effort to ensure welfare of Indian fishermen.
"Despite these efforts, apprehensions of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy have escalated to unprecedented levels in the recent months, " the CM added.
Condemning the Sri Lankan Navy for the arrest and seizure of the boat, S Emarit, secretary of Rameswaram All Mechanized Boats Fishermen Association, sought the intervention of the Centre to end such problems being faced by the TN fishermen and called for a permanent solution to this never-ending problem. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the newly constructed sea bridge at Pamban on April 6 after a meeting with his counterpart in Sri Lanka. Citing this, he said the fisher folks are hoping for an amicable solution to resolve their longstanding grievances.
Further, a five-member delegation of Tamil Nadu fishermen met representatives of fishermen associations at Vavuniya in Sri Lanka as a form of goodwill gesture to make up for the problem. During their visit, the delegation members met the jailed TN fishermen.
VP Sesuraja, president of the Association, after taking part in the meeting, said that both the governments of India and Sri Lanka should hold talks on a cordial basis to help Tamil Nadu fishermen retrieve their traditional rights of fishing at Katchatheevu.
