Chennai: Following an attack on four Tamilnadu fishermen and the arrest of six others, Chief Minister M K Stalin has written to Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, seeking his intervention for the early release of fishers, their boats and belongings from Sri Lankan custody.
‘I request you to take up this issue with the Sri Lankan government at the highest level and initiate bilateral talks between the two countries to find a permanent solution to this long pending vexatious issue and to put in place functional mechanisms to stop such incidents in future,’ the Chief Minister said in his letter to the External Affairs Minister.
‘In this attack, they were robbed of their GPS, fish catch, fuel and two mobile phones,’ he said. He also referred to the arrest of six Tamilnadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy last week. ‘While I appreciate the efforts and support extended by the Ministry of External Affairs in this regard so far, I am constrained to note that such incidents have continued unabated,’ Stalin said.
There have been four such incidents of apprehension by the Sri Lankan Navy in the last 30 days, in which seven boats and 47 fishermen from Tamilnadu were apprehended, the Chief Minister recalled.
Pointing out that 29 fishermen and 82 fishing boats are still under the custody of the Lankan government, the CM said the Centre should ensure their early release.