Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisami on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention in ensuring the release of five fishermen from Tamil Nadu arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday.
In a letter to Mr Modi, Mr Palanisami said the five fishermen set out to sail in a traditional fishing craft from Pamban fishing base of Ramanathapuram District and were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy during the late hours of April 30, 2017.
“The boat and fishermen have been taken to Jaffna and it is reported that the fishermen are remanded to judicial custody. It is unfortunate that the Sri Lankan Government continues to intimidate the Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu who eke out their livelihood through traditional fishing methods,” the CM said in the letter.
Such incidents of arrest of Indian fishermen can only be seen as an act to “derail attempts” to sort out the issues relating to fishing in the traditional waters of Palk Bay through diplomatic efforts of the respective Governments, Mr Palanisami said, adding that this also sends out a “demoralizing message” to fishermen from Tamil Nadu.
“It is important that the Government of India communicates to the Sri Lankan side in firm, clear, unequivocal and unambiguous terms that these trends have to be reversed and that the Government of India is firmly committed to protect the livelihood of the poor and innocent fishermen from Tamil Nadu who are engaged in their traditional occupation of fishing in their traditional waters,” Mr Palanisami said.
