Chief Minister M.K. Stalin spoke to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday, requesting the Indian Government to immediately intervene and take steps to ensure that the Sri Lankan government released 55 Tamil Nadu fishermen and eight boats.
An official release said the External Affairs Minister assured the Chief Minister that he will take immediate action on the issue. Mr. Stalin later wrote to Mr. Jaishankar, stating that he was saddened by the fact that incidents of arrest and harassment of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy were continuing with alarming frequency despite several letters sent by the Government of Tamil Nadu. In 2021 alone, there were 19 incidents of attacks on and arrest of Tamil Nadu fishermen. Though the fishermen were released, the fishing boats, the source of their livelihood, were still detained by the Sri Lankan authorities, he noted.
Separately, DMK MP Kanimozhi wrote to Mr. Jaishankar on the issue, seeking a condemnation from the government and the release of the fishermen and their boats.
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