Chennai. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has written a letter to Union External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar seeking Centre’s help. Stalin said 14 Indian fishermen were detained by the Pakistan Navy earlier this year and efforts should now be intensified to ensure their release.
Request for early release of fishermen
Actually, seven of the detained fishermen are from Tamil Nadu. The fishermen were arrested while fishing off Porbandar, Gujarat on January 3, 2024. Their mechanized fishing boats were also confiscated by the Pakistan Navy.
In his letter Stalin expressed concern over the nearly 10 months of detention and talked about the emotional and financial stress it places on the families of the arrested fishermen. He stressed that the absence of earning members has put their families in dire straits.
Stalin wrote this in a letter to Jaishankar
Stalin wrote, “In view of the prolonged detention and the humanitarian concerns involved, I request you to take up this matter in a concrete and meaningful manner through diplomatic channels to ensure the immediate release of all the fishermen.” Go.”
The Chief Minister also urged the Center to ensure the release of seized fishing boats, which are vital to the livelihood of fishermen and their families.
The issue of fishermen stranded in Sri Lanka was also raised
Earlier recently, Stalin had called upon Jaishankar to take immediate diplomatic measures on the increasing arrests of Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan authorities. The Chief Minister expressed concern over the increasing frequency of such incidents and said that the year 2024 has seen the highest number of arrests of fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan Navy in seven years.
The Tamil Nadu government has consistently raised the issue, advocating for the protection of the state’s fishing community, whose members often venture into disputed waters in search of livelihood.