Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Wants Release of Fishermen
The recurring arrest of fishermen from Tamil Nadu by Sri Lankan Navy caused deep anguish among the fishing community, disrupting their livelihoods and creating uncertainty among those dependent on the Palk Bay for their sustenance, Vijay said.
Chennai:Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay urged Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar to personally intervene and ensure the early release of the 11 fishermen from Ramanathapuram district, who were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy along with their mechanized fishing boat, on Thursday.
In his letter to Jaishankar on Thursday, the Chief Minister said that the mechanised fishing boat had run aground near the shore of Neduntheevu due to a mechanical failure when the Navy personnel arrested them and took custody of the boat allegedly for crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
The recurring arrest of fishermen from Tamil Nadu by Sri Lankan Navy caused deep anguish among the fishing community, disrupting their livelihoods and creating uncertainty among those dependent on the Palk Bay for their sustenance, Vijay said.
Requesting Jaishankar to kindly take up the matter with the Government of Sri Lanka through appropriate diplomatic channels and facilitate the early release and safe repatriation of all the apprehended fishermen, along with the release of their fishing boat, Vijay reiterated that early revival of bilateral dialogues through Joint Working Group (JWG) would only help to address these recurring issues.