Stop Sri Lanka from auctioning boats of Indian fishermen: Stalin to Modi

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi objecting to Sri Lanka’s decision to auction 105 fishing boats seized from fishermen belonging to the state. He urged Modi to intervene in the issue and prevail upon the Sri Lankan government to stop the auction scheduled from February 7 to 11 by recalling an advertisement published in newspapers in this regard.

Referring to media reports that Sri Lanka’s Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has decided to auction the boats owned by Tamil Nadu fishermen, Stalin said the “unfortunate development” has come at a time when the Indo-Sri Lankan Joint Working Group on Fisheries is due to meet again shortly.

“The above action has created alarm and distrust among the Tamil Nadu fishermen who have come forward with an accommodative frame of mind to find an amicable solution for this long-pending issue,” Stalin told Modi.

Hundreds of fishermen from Tamil Nadu have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly entering the country’s water. While the fishermen are released after a few days, their boats are often withheld in the island nation.

Stalin recalled that the Ministry of External Affairs had requested the state government through the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka to send a technical team to finalize the process and modalities for disposal of 125 unsalvageable fishing boats berthed in various harbours of Sri Lanka.

Accordingly, the state government has issued orders for deputing officials and stakeholders from Tamil Nadu to inspect and oversee the disposal of fishing boats and to transfer the sale proceeds to the owners of these boats back in India. The schedule of the visit of officials to Sri Lanka for the above purpose was also communicated to the Ministry of External Affairs, he said.

“The tearing hurry to conduct an auction without consultation is bound to derail the efforts of the Indian High Commission and the Government of Tamil Nadu aimed at providing some succour to the poor fishermen who have lost their means of livelihood. It is pertinent to note that these unsalvageable fishing boats were released by various Sri Lankan Courts following the due judicial procedure,” the Chief Minister said.

In the letter, Stalin asked India to register its disapproval in the strongest possible terms at the appropriate level and to prevail upon the Sri Lankan Government to recall the advertisement published by the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources for auctioning the Tamil Nadu fishing boats on which they do not have any legal rights.

“In this context, I also request the Government of India to continue the efforts for the transparent disposal of 125 Tamil Nadu boats that were apprehended before 2018. It is also requested to ensure the early release of 75 boats and fishing gears apprehended after 2018 by the Sri Lankan Navy,” he said.

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