The President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, Selvaperunthagai, on Tuesday strongly condemned the arrest of 12 fishermen from the Rameswaram–Pamban region by the Sri Lankan Navy, calling the incident “shocking and painful.”
In a strongly worded statement, he said the fishermen were apprehended along with their mechanised boat, which was subsequently seized. He pointed out that the arrests come barely a week after 22 fishermen were detained and four boats confiscated, describing the repeated incidents as deeply distressing for coastal communities.
Selvaperunthagai noted that the continued arrests have taken place ahead of the annual festival at St Antony’s Church in Katchatheevu, a period traditionally marked by goodwill and religious harmony between India and Sri Lanka. He said such actions risk disrupting the fragile relationship and intensifying anxiety among fishermen.
According to him, a total of 116 Tamil Nadu fishermen and 259 fishing boats are currently in Sri Lankan custody. Despite repeated appeals from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, including multiple letters to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, there has been no breakthrough in securing their release.
The TNCC chief accused the Union government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party of adopting what he termed a “lackadaisical approach” towards the fishermen’s issue. He alleged that the recurring arrests and seizure of boats have become a “continuing saga,” severely affecting the livelihoods of hundreds of families dependent on fishing.
On behalf of the Tamil Nadu Congress, Selvaperunthagai demanded immediate diplomatic intervention to secure the release of the arrested fishermen and the return of their boats. He warned that if urgent steps are not taken, the Union government would have to face serious consequences.
On February 23, Chief Minister Stalin had written to Jaishankar urging swift action following the February 22 arrest of the 12 fishermen and the seizure of their mechanised boat, which pushed the total number of boats confiscated to 259.
The recurring arrests continue to remain a flashpoint in India–Sri Lanka relations, particularly for fishermen operating in the Palk Strait region.