Stalin demands release of Indian fishermen as Anura visits India

Chennai: Terming as 'encouraging' Sri Lankan President Anura Dissanayake’s discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of arrest of Tamil fishermen, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday demanded the release of fishermen and boats detained by the neighbouring country.

“It is encouraging that the Hon’ble President of Sri Lanka, Anura Dissanayake, is engaging in discussions with our Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to address the concerns of Tamil fishermen in a humanitarian and peaceful manner, emphasising the need to avoid conflict,” Stalin said in a post on X.

He appealed to the visiting Sri Lankan President to consider the release of Tamil Nadu fishermen detained by the Sri Lankan Navy and the return of their seized boats.

“Such a gesture will infuse confidence in these deliberations and mark a constructive step towards fostering stronger ties and a harmonious future between our two nations,” Stalin added.

Arrest of Indian fishermen from Pudukkottai, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, and Ramanathapuram districts by the Sri Lankan Navy has been a recurring affair in the Palk Strait for the past few decades.

The fishermen cross the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and step into Sri Lankan waters as the fish catch is abundant on the other side. But their Tamil counterparts in Sri Lanka’s northern region say the bottom trawlers used by Indian fishermen scrap the seabed, bringing ecological destruction.

The Ministry of External Affairs maintains that the government attaches the highest priority to the safety, security and welfare of Indian fishermen and that the issue of fishermen has been taken up at the highest level.

“Sri Lankan Government has been requested to treat the fishermen issue as a purely humanitarian and livelihood concern, and it has been stressed that both sides should ensure that there is no use of force under any circumstances,” the ministry had said last year.