NEW DELHI: Chief of opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Saturday wrote a letter to the exterior affairs minister S Jaishankar urging quick motion to make sure the discharge of the 37 Tamil fishermen and their boats arrested by the Sri Lankan authorities earlier final week on September 21.
“I’m writing to you relating to the arrest of 37 Tamil fishermen, and the seizure of their boats by Sri Lankan authorities on September 21, 2024…I request you to kindly take up this matter with the Sri Lankan authorities and make sure the early launch of the fishermen and their boats,” the letter learn.
The letter continued that regardless of their makes an attempt to hunt help from Sri Lankan authorities in a rescue operation, the fishermen have been arrested for crossing the Worldwide Maritime Boundary Line.
The Congress MP highlighted the recurring nature of such incidents and wrote that “The fishing boats seized have been group property bought via pooled assets. The recurring incidents of small and marginal Indian fisherfolk being apprehended by Sri Lankan authorities, and the unjust seizure of belongings and imposition of hefty fines by them warrants strict condemnation.”
Earlier on Monday, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu M K Stalin wrote a letter to EAM S Jaishankar, requesting him to prevail upon the Sri Lankan govt to cease levying hefty fines on the fishermen and safe the discharge of all of the arrested fishermen and their crafts.
Referring to the incident, Stalin stated, “The Sri Lankan courts are levying penalties which might be past the means of those fishermen.” Sturdy measures should be taken to stop the Sri Lankan authorities from apprehending fishermen and their fishing boats, stated the CM.
“Subsequently, I request you to prevail upon the Sri Lankan govt to cease levying hefty fines on the fishermen and supply them with vital authorized help. Additional, I urge you to safe the discharge of all of the arrested fishermen and their fishing boats as quickly as doable,” he added.
Addressing a separate related incident on Thursday Stalin had written one other letter to the exterior affairs minister requesting him to take vital measures to safe the early launch of Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested by the Bahrain Coast Guard.
In his letter to Jaishankar, Stalin talked about that 28 fishermen from Idinthakarai fishing village in Tirunelveli district, who have been engaged in fishing labour in Iran, have been detained by the Bahrain Coast Guard on Sept 11 for inadvertently crossing the border. The boats belong to Iranian nationals.
The households of the fishermen, who’re depending on their revenue, have been severely impacted by the arrest, he added.
