Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin wrote to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday urging him to find permanent diplomatic solution with Sri Lanka regarding the arrests of fishermen. He said the arrests strain bilateral relations between the countries.
The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested nine Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu for allegedly violating its maritime boundary, a state Fisheries department official here said on Tuesday. Two mechanised boats were also seized.
The fishermen, belonging to Mandapam in Ramanathapuram, set sail for fishing on Monday morning and were apprehended late last night between Katchatheevu and Neduntheevu, the official added.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government said Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will attend a state conference of fishermen's associations here next month, that will discuss the issue of arrests and impounding of boats.
Fisheries minister Anitha R. Radhakrishnan said that Stalin will participate in the meeting scheduled on August 18, based on an invitation from the fishermen representatives.
An official release quoted him as saying that the CM has repeatedly taken up the fishermen issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar through written communication as well as over the telephone.
He recalled that Stalin had written last week to the PM, urging him to take up with the then visiting Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, protecting the traditional fishing rights of the Tamil Nadu fishermen.
Following the arrests, CM Stalin wrote to Union Minister Jaishankar highlighting the plight faced by fishermen and urged the latter to find permanent diplomatic solution to the issue. “Even after my recent request to step up diplomatic efforts to resolve this long-standing issue, despite the high-level interactions between the two nations, the situation on the ground remains unchanged," Stalin said in the letter.
"I had urged the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) to take up the matter with utmost importance during the visit of the President of Sri Lanka to our country. I had hoped that this visit would provide an opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue and find a lasting solution that respects the rights and livelihoods of both Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen," he added.
"These incidents strain bilateral relations and inflict severe socio-economic repercussions on the affected families. I, once again, request you to take all possible diplomatic efforts to ensure the release of the apprehended fishermen, secure the return of their seized boats, and re-emphasise the significance of finding a lasting and mutually acceptable solution to the issue of fishing rights in the Palk Bay region," Stalin told Jaishankar in the letter.
