Kanimozhi, a Member of Parliament from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), urged the Indian authorities to take immediate action to secure the release of 12 Tamil Nadu fishermen who were arrested by Maldivian authorities. The fishermen, hailing from Tharuvaikulam in southern Thoothukudi district, found themselves in a precarious situation after accidentally straying into Maldivian territorial waters while seeking refuge from an impending cyclone.The incident unfolded in the southern Arabian Sea when the fishermen, responding to an alert about an approaching cyclone on October 20, moved their fishing vessel towards safety. Regrettably, their course took them into Maldivian maritime territory near Thinadhoo island, leading to their arrest by Maldivian authorities.
Expressing her deep concern over the situation, Kanimozhi, who represents the Thoothukudi Lok Sabha constituency, took to social media to share her plea to Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. In her email addressed to the minister, she implored the central government to initiate the necessary measures for the prompt release of the detained fishermen and the return of their fishing boat.
“Deeply concerned about the arrest of 12 fishermen from Tharuvaikulam in my Thoothukudi constituency by the Maldivian Coast Guard while deep-sea fishing. I request the Ministry of External Affairs of India to swiftly intervene and ensure the safe return of our fishermen,” Kanimozhi, who also serves as the deputy general secretary of the DMK, stated in her appeal.