Nineteen fishermen from Tamil Nadu, who were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy on January 23, have been released and are en route to Chennai. The Indian embassy in Sri Lanka confirmed their repatriation through an official post on X, stating, “Returning home! 19 Indian fishermen have been repatriated from Sri Lanka and are now on their way from Colombo to Chennai.”
Instances of Indian fishermen being arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy have been recurring. On February 5, fishermen from Rameswaram staged a symbolic strike to highlight their longstanding grievances and presented a list of demands to address their challenges. Among their demands was the return of their voter ID cards to the central government and a threat to boycott elections if their concerns remained unaddressed.
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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has expressed concerns about the escalating attacks on the state’s fishing community in the region and has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene promptly to resolve the issue. In his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Stalin wrote, “I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the alarming increase in incidents of apprehension of Tamil fishermen and their boats by the Sri Lankan authorities. This issue severely impacts the right to livelihood of these fishermen, as the communities have utilised these fishing waters for generations.”
CM Stalin urged PM Modi to re-establish the Joint Action Group for addressing fishermen’s concerns. Additionally, he emphasized a notable rise in the frequency of fishermen arrests.
