Stalin Writes to Jaishankar, Urges Release of 10 Fishermen Arrested on Pongal Eve
In a letter to Jaishankar on Tuesday, Stalin said that in the early hours of Tuesday ten fishermen from Ramanathapuram, who had ventured out to sea in a mechanised fishing boat bearing Registration No. IND TN-10-MM-513, were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy.
Chennai: Urging External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take up the matter relating to the deeply distressing incident of the Sri Lankan Navy apprehending a fishing boat from Ramanathapuram on the eve of Pongal, the harvest festival expeditiously through diplomatic channels, Chief Minister M K Stalin said the incident once again underscored the continuing hardships faced by the fishermen of Tamil Nadu.
In a letter to Jaishankar on Tuesday, Stalin said that in the early hours of Tuesday ten fishermen from Ramanathapuram, who had ventured out to sea in a mechanised fishing boat bearing Registration No. IND TN-10-MM-513, were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy.
‘It is a matter of grave concern that such recurring incidents of arrest of Tamil Nadu fishermen and seizure of their fishing boats by the Sri Lankan authorities continue unabated,’ he said, adding that a total of 252 fishing boats and 83 fishermen, including those apprehended in the latest incident, remained in Sri Lankan custody.
Considering the extreme distress and uncertainty faced by the families of the detained fishermen, he earnestly urged the Union Government to take up the matter expeditiously through appropriate diplomatic channels, to prevent further apprehensions and to secure the immediate release of all detained fishermen along with their fishing boats, so that they could be reunited with their families during the Pongal festival, he said.
