Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 10 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday urging action to secure the release and repatriation of all the fishermen and their fishing boats apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy.
In his letter, the Chief Minister highlighted the meeting of EAM with a delegation from Tamil Nadu recently over the death of two fishermen and said that despite this there has been no relief or respite.
“I am writing this to you with a deep sense of anguish and concern as 35 of our fishermen from Ramanathapuram district, along with their four motorized country boats were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy yesterday. I wish to recall that just recently a delegation from Tamil Nadu that included the MPs and fishermen representatives met you after we had lost two fishermen. It is distressing to note that despite this, there has been no significant relief or respite in this regard,” CM Stalin stated in the letter.
The letter further mentioned that the ongoing detentions of fishermen are not only causing immense hardship to the affected families but also creating a pervasive sense of fear and uncertainty in the coastal communities. The psychological and financial toll on these families is devastating, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to continue their traditional way of life, he added.
The Chief Minister said that stronger diplomatic measures must be pursued to ensure the immediate release of our fishermen and to establish a more permanent solution to prevent such incidents from recurring.
“The safety and security of our coastal communities must be a priority, and I hope that the Government of India will take decisive action to secure the release and repatriation of all the apprehended fishermen and their fishing boats,” the letter mentioned. (ANI)
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