In a letter directed to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin requested him to see to it that the arrested fishermen and their boats are released by Sri Lanka.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, requesting him to activate diplomatic channels for the release of Indian fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy.
The letter by MK Stalin came after the Sri Lankan Navy on Thursday arrested as many as 13 Tamil Nadu fishermen and also seized three boats of them.
“Currently, the Sri Lankan authorities have detained 173 fishing boats and 80 fishermen.” These detentions have severely impacted their livelihoods and caused immense distress to their families, Stalin said in his letter to the External Affairs Minister.
“In light of the above, I request that a strong and coordinated effort may be made by the Ministry of External Affairs to address this matter urgently. I also request that appropriate diplomatic channels may be activated to ensure the immediate release of all the fishermen and their fishing boats,” he added in his letter.
Earlier last month, Stalin wrote three letters to Jaishankar on the issue on June 19, 24 and 25. The external affairs minister said the Indian High Commission in Colombo and the Indian consulate in Jaffna have been expeditiously and consistently taking up the issue with Sri Lankan authorities.
There have been regular instances of Indian fishermen being arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in Sri Lankan waters.
A similar incident happened in March this year when the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 22 Tamil Nadu fishermen and seized their trawlers for allegedly poaching in Sri Lanka’s waters.
Source: India today
