CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take immediate steps to secure the release of 104 Tamil Nadu fishermen and 258 boats currently in the custody of the Sri Lankan authorities, including those detained in the latest incident.
He also expressed serious concern over the arrest of 22 fishermen from Rameswaram by the Sri Lankan Navy in mid-sea on Wednesday, along with their boats,
The CM, in his letter to the Union Minister, said, "The lives and livelihoods of the fishing community are highly dependent on the seas, and their frequent apprehensions have caused profound distress among their families. The continued delay in repatriation of 12 fishermen who have been released by the Jaffna court during the first week of February remains a concern that has plunged the families into uncertainty and economic hardship."
The CM urged the Union Minister to take urgent diplomatic action for the repatriation of all the fishermen released from Sri Lankan custody and to secure the release of all detained Indian fishermen.