CHENNAI: Union Minister Piyush Goyal, along with BJP functionaries, welcomed the 312 Indian fishermen, who returned from the conflict-ridden Iran, at the Chennai International Airport on Saturday. This marks the second batch of stranded fishermen being evacuated back to the country, following the safe return of 345 stranded fishermen from Iran to Chennai recently.
Of the fishermen who reached Chennai on Saturday, 222 are from Tamil Nadu, 73 are from Gujarat, nine from Kerala, and eight from other states. Among the Tamil Nadu fishermen, 104 are from the Kanniyakumari district, 30 from Thoothukudi, 35 from Tirunelveli, seven from Nagapattinam, and four from Mayiladuthurai, among other districts.
More than 1,000 Indian fishermen, largely from the coastal regions of the country, had been working in Iran on a contract basis. They were left stranded without employment following the escalation of tensions involving Iran and the US-Israel, prompting appeals from their family members for urgent intervention, said sources.
Addressing mediapersons after welcoming the fishermen, Minister Goyal said that, with the effort and support from the Indian embassies in Iran and Armenia, the stranded workers were moved across the Iran-Armenia border and flown back to India. He added that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his team had been in constant touch with the fishermen to ensure their safety. “The embassy coordinated their movement to Armenia, from where flights were arranged to bring them back. They may be from different parts of the country, but what binds them is the nation and the shared sense of belonging,” he said.
According to BJP sources, the fishermen’s flight travel expenses, as well as the subsequent travel to their respective hometowns from Chennai, are borne by the party.