PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy has urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take immediate diplomatic steps to secure the release of 12 fishermen from Puducherry and Tamil Nadu who were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy.
In a letter addressed to the Union Minister, the Chief Minister said seven of the detained fishermen are from the Karaikal region of the Puducherry UT, while five others hail from Mayiladuthurai district in Tamil Nadu.
The incident has caused distress among the fishing community, particularly in Karaikarai. The fishermen were taken into custody along with their mechanised boat while fishing near Kodiyakarai on April 10. He requested the Centre to take up the matter with the Sri Lankan government to ensure their early release, along with the confiscated vessel.
Earlier V Vaithilingam, Puducherry MP and president of the Puducherry Congress Committee, had written to the External Affairs Minister seeking intervention. He urged the Centre to use diplomatic channels to secure the release of the fishermen and their boat at the earliest.
Incidents of fishermen being detained for alleged maritime boundary violations continue to affect coastal communities in both Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, with repeated calls for a lasting diplomatic solution.