16 TN fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy

CHENNAI: State BJP leader K Annamalai on Sunday wrote a letter to Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar, seeking his intervention to repatriate the sixteen Tamil Nadu fishermen from Sri Lanka.

Leader of Dravida Kazhagam K Veeramani has also joined the issue and demanded the Union Government to act swiftly to bring back the fishermen, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of trespassing.

"We bring to your attention yesterday's arrest of 16 fishermen from Pudukkottai and Nagapattinam by the Sri Lankan Navy. Two fishing boats belonging to them have also been seized during the arrest," said Annamalai in his letter to the union minister.

He requested the intervention of the minister for the early reparation of the detainees.

Meanwhile, Veeramani said that nearly 600 fishermen ventured into sea in 172 mechanised vessels for fishing.

The Sri Lankan Navy arrested Arockiaraj and 15 other fishermen during the early hours of Sunday when they were fishing Alai Theevu.

The Lankan Navy has also confiscated Arockiaraj's vessel and belongings.

The Union and the State governments take appropriate measures to bring them back, he said in a statement.

He condemned the Union government for failing to protect the interest of the Tamil Nadu fishermen, who were frequently arrested by the Navy of the island nation, and said that they would organise a conference at Jagathapattinam on April 14 demanding the Union government to find a permanent solution to the issue. He invited all political parties and representatives of the fishermen communities in the state to participate in the conference to emphasize on a permanent solution to the issue.

PMK founder Dr Ramadoss had also centre's intervention to bring back the TN fishermen arrested by Lankan authorites.As many as 16 fishermen of Tamil Nadu, who were fishing near the Palk Strait, were arrested on Sunday by the Sri Lankan Navy, officials said.

The arrested fishermen were taken by the Lankan Naval personnel for handing them over to authorities in their country, they said. Their two boats have also been seized and taken away, they added.

PMK founder leader S Ramadoss on his Twitter handle condemned the fishermen's arrest. Lanka continuously arresting Tamil Nadu fishermen and seizing their boats leads to loss of livelihoods. ''If a single boat is confiscated, a minimum of 20 families, comprising about 100 members of such families are affected.'' Ramadoss urged the Central government to find a permanent solution to the decades long issue. He requested the State and Central governments to get fishermen and their seized boats released immediately.