COLOMBO: As a Pongal gift to Tamil Nadu and Puduchery fishermen, the new Sri Lankan government led by President Maithripala Sirisena is going to release 15 fishermen from Puduchery, who are still in Lankan custody, and “favorably consider” the release of all the 87 Indian boats in detention, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.
The decision to release the fishermen and boats is also politically significant as it comes ahead of Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s visit to India beginning on January 18.
The Foreign Ministry said: “ As a gesture of goodwill and with the advent of the Thai Pongal festival, the new Government of President Maithripala Sirisena is processing the release on humanitarian grounds the remaining fifteen Indian fishermen from Puducherry who are detained in Sri Lanka for poaching.”
“There are also eighty seven (87) boats of Indian fishermen which have been detained in instances over a period of time, and are presently in Sri Lankan judicial custody. Their release would be favorably considered upon claims being registered by the respective owners in the relevant Courts, in keeping with the legally stipulated practice,” it added.
“Earlier, the Government of India released ten Sri Lankan fishermen in Indian custody. With the on-going process for release by the Sri Lankan authorities of the Indian fishermen, both countries would have reciprocated on the fishermen in each other’s custody,” the Ministry said.
The 15 Puduchery fishermen were left out when there was a swap of detained fishermen earlier, because the exchange agreement was between the Sri Lankan and Tamil Nadu governments and did not include Puduchery.