Stalin urges Jaishankar to secure release of 68 TN fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan naval forces

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on Tuesday urged external affairs minister S Jaishankar to secure the immediate release of 68 fishermen and 75 fishing boats in the custody of the Sri Lankan government. Union minister of state for fisheries L Murugan also urged Jaishankar to take up with the concerned authorities for the immediate release of fishermen.
In a letter to the Union minister, a copy of which was handed over to him by the DMK MPs led by parliamentary party leader T R Baalu, the chief minister pointed to the latest arrests of 13 fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan coast guard. The fishermen were taken to the Mayilatti fishing harbour.
“The alarming frequency at which these incidents of detention and attacks are happening warrants urgent attention. The lives and livelihoods of our fishermen must be protected when they fish in the traditional waters of Palk Bay,” Stalin said.
The Centre must prevail upon the Sri Lankan government through diplomatic channels to put an end to the intimidatory tactics of the Sri Lankan Navy, the chief minister said. The 13 fishermen ventured into the sea in two fishing boats from Pudukkottai district.
In a letter on Sunday, the CM had raised the issue of the frequent arrests with Jaishankar. If 43 fishermen from Rameswaram were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on Saturday, 12 fishermen from Mandapam in Ramanathapuram were arrested on Sunday. There were 19 incidents of arrests of and attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy during this year. Two instances of attacks and deaths of five fishermen had been reported during this period, he pointed out.