With 128 fishermen languishing in Sri Lankan prisons on the charge of poaching in the island nation’s territorial waters, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday requested the Union Government to expeditiously secure their release and their 199 boats.
In a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the Chief Minister said as recently as on Wednesday (October 23), 16 fishermen and their two mechanised vessels from Rameswaram were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. With this, the total number of Indian fishermen in Lankan prisons has gone up to 128 and the boats impounded have risen to 199.
The arrest of Indian fishermen by the island navy on the charge of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) in the narrow Palk Strait, between India and Sri Lanka is continuing unabated and of late they are on the rise, Stalin explained. Such acts of Colombo are causing considerable distress to the families of the fishermen and hampering the livelihood of the coastal community, he added.
“Therefore, I request you to initiate necessary diplomatic efforts to prevail upon the Sri Lankan Government to prevent the arrest of fishermen and ensure the expeditious release of all the 128 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and the 199 boats that are still in the custody of the Sri Lankan authorities,” said the letter, expressing the hope that “the proposed deliberations of the Joint Working Group will bring us closer to a lasting solution to this festering issue.”
Sri Lankan Tamil fishermen in the north and east of the island nation have been pressing Colombo to prevent their counterparts from Tamil Nadu poaching in their waters. Coupled with this is the problem of pirates attacking Indian fishermen and looting their catch as well as nets. Every time the fishermen are arrested by the island navy, the Chief Minister used to write to the Centre to secure their release. Sri Lanka, while releasing the fishermen is keeping the boats impounded, allowing them to rot and be damaged.
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