Opposition MPs from Tamil Nadu protest outside Parliament, demand repatriation of Indian fishermen from Sri Lanka

NEW DELHI: Led by the DMK, the opposition MPs on Friday raised the issue of Tamil fisherfolk being arrested and their boats seized by the Sri Lankan Navy and urged the Union government to find a lasting solution to the vexed issue.

The MPs held a protest in the Parliament complex before the House met on Friday and raised the issue in Lok Sabha later.

The protest was joined by parliamentarians from several other opposition parties, including the Congress and Left MPs from Tamil Nadu. Other leaders who were a part of the protest included Derek O’Brien of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Sudama Prasad of the CPI(ML) Liberation.

The protesting MPs held up placards with slogans that read “Justice For Tamil Fisherman”, “Bring Back Our Fishermen”, “No More Arrests” and “Tamil Nadu Fishermen Are Indians”.

DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said the matter of Tamil fisherfolk’s arrest was a national issue as they were Indians being mistreated by Sri Lanka. “Many other parties also took part in the protest. It is an issue which should not be restricted to the state. They are Tamil fishermen, they are Indians,” Tiruchi Siva said.

“Fishermen are being tortured, harassed and killed for years and the government does not take any concrete steps to resolve the issue. Earlier, they (Sri Lankan authorities) used to assault them and take away their catch. Recently, they have started using weapons to shoot the poor fishermen,” the Rajya Sabha member said.

He claimed that the fisherfolk are scared of venturing out to sea, disrupting their livelihood. Siva also said there was a proposal to include these fisherfolk in the Scheduled Tribe category.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore also demanded the Centre’s intervention in the matter and engagement with the Sri Lankan government.