Fishermen arrest: Convene Joint Working Group immediately, CM Stalin tells Centre

CHENNAI: Expressing concern over the ‘alarming’ rise in arrest of Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan Navy, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Sunday urged the Centre to immediately convene the Joint Working Group to find a permanent solution to the issue.

The Chief Minister wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, flagging the latest detention of 32 Indian fishermen and five boats by the Lankan Navy.

“I write this letter with a sense of deep anguish as the number of incidents of apprehensions of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy have risen alarmingly in the recent times. In the latest incident, 32 fishermen have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy on February 23, along with their five mechanised fishing boats... These fishermen had ventured for fishing from the Rameswaram fishing harbour on February 22,” CM Stalin said in his letter.

The apprehensions of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy are still continuing in large numbers inspite of repeated requests to prevail upon Colombo to prevent such arrests. So far this year, 119 fishermen and 16 boats have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy in eight separate incidents, he added.

“Hence, I once again reiterate my earlier request to convene the Joint Working Group immediately to find a permanent solution to this long pending issue. This is especially crucial since the livelihoods of our fishermen families are impacted severely, due to these apprehensions.”

“I request you to take strong diplomatic efforts to prevent the arrests of our fishermen,” the CM added. The concern rises has fishermen associations have flagged the increasing arrests. Traditional Indian Fishermen Welfare Association president VP Sesuraja has said that this month alone arrests have been done by the Sri Lankan Navy on four occasions. Families of jailed fishermen are forced to pay huge fine imposed by the Sri Lankan authority, he said.