Stalin writes to Jaishankar for release of 15 Tamil Nadu fishermen from Sri Lanka

Chennai (IANS). Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday wrote to Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar seeking his immediate intervention in getting the 15 Tamil Nadu fishermen released from Sri Lanka.

“Through diplomatic channels, we can find a solution that respects the rights and livelihood of our fishermen while maintaining friendly bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka,” the chief minister wrote.

On Sunday, 15 fishermen along with their boats were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy off Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu.

The chief minister wrote that several hundred fishermen go to deep sea fishing for livelihood and the arrest of these fishermen and confiscation of their equipment is causing great hardship in the coastal areas of the state.

Earlier, the fishermen’s association had written to the central government and the state government, asking them to take steps to release mechanized fishing boats from the Sri Lankan Navy.

The fishermen’s associations, in their earlier application, had also said that the mechanized boats, which are in Sri Lankan custody, are the main means of livelihood for fishermen in the state’s coastal areas.