Secure release of 38 fishermen: Tamil Nadu CM to PM Modi

Pointing out that Sunday’s arrests showed that the island nation had “resorted to familiar tactics of harassing and intimidating Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu while they fished in their traditional fishing waters in the Palk Bay, Mr Panneerselvam said 24 fishermen from TN were arrested by the Lankan navy nearly two months ago and were still in custody.

In a demi-official letter to the Prime Minister, copies of which were made available to the media on Monday, the Chief Minister said 14 fishermen who had set sail on three fishing boats from Rameswaram (in Ramanathapuram district) and Jagathapattinam (in Pudukkottai district) were arrested by the Lankan navy on Sunday and taken to Kankesanthurai along with their boats.

“It is unfortunate that this incident has taken place after the recent positive development in which five fishermen who were sentenced to death in a planted case of transporting narcotic substances were released on November 20, 2014,” Mr Panneerselvam said and recalled that based on the request of the state government, Mr Modi had personally intervened in the matter and ensured the release of the five fishermen.

“I thank you for your timely intervention,” he said while requesting Mr. Modi to intervene and secure the release of all the fishermen.

Recalling the efforts of his party leader and former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in improving the lot of the fisherfolk, Mr Panneerselvam called for a two-pronged approach to solve the fishermen’s issue.

One was a financial package of Rs 1,520 crore and a recurring grant of Rs10 crore per annum for maintenance dredging, to improve the socio-economic status of the fishermen and the second was the abrogation of the 1974 and 1976 agreements ceding the Katchatheevu islet to Sri Lanka.