Tamil Nadu CM Stalin urges PM Modi to take up fishermen issue with visiting Sri Lankan President

The CM also said the prolonged incarceration of fishermen in Sri Lankan jails has caused considerable unease and fear in the coastal villages.

As Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe begins his India visit, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to take up two issues, including retrieval of Katchatheevu island to restore traditional fishing rights of Indian fishermen, with the visiting dignitary.

Stalin also told Modi to impress upon Wickremesinghe to ensure adequate and meaningful devolution of powers to Tamil-dominated provinces in Sri Lanka to fulfil their “genuine and unresolved aspirations.”

On Katchatheevu, sandwiched between India and Sri Lanka in the Palk Straits, Stalin demanded that the Union Government initiate diplomatic efforts to revisit the 1974 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord transferring the island to the neighbouring nation as it will only re-establish the historical fishing rights and provide permanent relief to Tamil Nadu fishermen.

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“Until this is accomplished, the Union Government may take steps to restore at least the traditional fishing rights of our fishermen,” Stalin told Modi, reminding him that Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu face “highly restricted access” to traditional fishing grounds, increased harassment and arrest by the Sri Lankan Navy on the charges of trespassing.

“Restoring the right to fish in the traditional fishing grounds of Palk Bay has always been among the top priorities of the Government of Tamil Nadu,” Stalin, whose party has been accused of keeping mum when Katchatheevu was ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974, said.

Recalling the efforts taken by the previous DMK regimes to retrieve the island, Stalin said his father and five-time Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had declared on the floor of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly that "the denial of access to Katchatheevu island has not only infringed upon our fishermen's traditional fishing rights but has also led to significant economic losses for our coastal communities.”

Flagging the frequent harassment and apprehension of Tamil fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, the Chief Minister said the prolonged incarceration of fishermen in Sri Lankan jails has caused considerable unease and fear in the coastal villages.

“We appeal for initiating strong and enhanced measures to prevent the harassment of our fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy. Regular patrolling, establishment of communication channels, and installation of warning systems could significantly reduce the incidents of harassment and apprehension,” he said, demanding a solution to release boats seized by the Sri Lankan Navy.

On the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils, he said it was imperative to protect the social, political, cultural and economic rights of the ethnic Tamils so that they can lead dignified lives as equal citizens of Sri Lanka. “For this purpose, there must be adequate and meaningful devolution of powers to the provinces, which fulfils the genuine and unresolved aspirations of the Tamils in the island nation,” Stalin said.

"I am sure that your support and intervention in these matters will bring about a positive change in the lives of our fishermen and their families and also help address the genuine aspirations of the Tamils in Sri Lanka. By addressing these concerns, India can safeguard the rights of our fishermen, protect their livelihoods, and improve our historical bilateral ties with Sri Lanka," he added.