CM Vijay Writes To Jaishankar On Fishermen Arrest
20 fishermen from Tamil Nadu continued to languish in Sri Lankan prisons with 270 fishing boats in custody: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay
CHENNAI: Expressing deep concern over the Sri Lankan Navy repeatedly arresting fishermen from Tamil Nadu and impounding their boats in the Palk Straits, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay drew the attention of the Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to the latest incident on October 3 when nine fishermen from Rameswaran were taken into custody along with their motor boat bearing registration number IND-TN-10-MM-0457.
In his letter to Jaishankar on Monday, the Chief Minister said that 20 fishermen from Tamil Nadu continued to languish in Sri Lankan prisons with 270 fishing boats in custody. He urged him to prevail over the Sri Lankan government to put an end to the recurring problem that caused distress to the families of fishermen and put them in financial difficulties, besides causing fear among the fishing community.
Demanding the revival of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group on Fisheries at the earliest and the convening of its meeting, given the present situation, Vijay stressed on the need for the resumption of talks between the two neighbouring countries.
Traditionally, the livelihood of the fishermen in Ramanathapuram and the adjoining coastal districts depended on fishing in the Palk Straits, he said, adding that when they were prevented from doing and also penalized through their arrest and seizure of the fishing boats, the families faced financial crises.