Stalin urges Centre to intervene into TN fishermen's release matter

Chennai, July 25 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has written a letter to Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for a high-level diplomatic intervention into the matter pertaining to the release of Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram. 

In a letter on Tuesday, the Chief Minister expressed "deep concern and disappointment" over the continuing arrests of Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan Navy.

The Chief Minister in the letter to Jaishankar, said: "I had urged the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) to take up the matter with utmost importance during the visit of the President of Sri Lanka to our country. I had hoped that this visit would provide an opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue and find a lasting solution that respects the rights and livelihoods of both Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen."

"However, it has come to my notice that despite the high-level interactions between the two nations, the situation at the ground remains unchanged," Stalin added.

The Chief Minister also said that the nine fishermen from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy with two mechanised boats.

He requested the Ministry of External Affairs to take all possible diplomatic efforts to ensure the release of the apprehended fishermen, secure the return of their seized boats, and re-emphasise the significance of finding a lasting and mutually acceptable solution to the issue of fishing rights in the Palk Bay region.

The Chief Minister also cautioned that the incidents of continuous arrests of fishermen from Tamil Nadu and their mechanised boats will lead to strain in bilateral relations.

He also said that this was severely affecting the socio-economic conditions of the affected fishermen's families and added that the fishermen are subject to immense hardships due to this.

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