Chennai: Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Friday sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in releasing 41 fishermen detained by Sri Lankan Navy during fishing in the sea. In her letter she cited the December 17, 2015, case where four Indian fishermen from Jegathapattinam, Pudukottai district, ventured into the sea in a mechanised fishing boat. They were apprehended by Sri Lankan Navy and taken to Kankesanthurai, Sri Lanka, taking the total number of arrests to 41. They have also seized 56 boats over the past several weeks.
In her letter, the CM said: “The continued incarceration of our fishermen and impounding of their boats in Sri Lanka just as the festive season is beginning is causing great frustration and despondency among the fisher folk of Tamil Nadu. Hence, I urge you again to urgently take up this issue with the Sri Lankan authorities at the appropriate level and ensure the immediate release of the fishermen, their boats and fishing gear.” Jayalalithaa said the Centre should act decisively in the light of the sensitive nature of this issue and initiate a calibrated set of actions to end the sufferings of “our fishermen”
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