NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday wrote a letter to the external affairs minister S Jaishankar urging immediate action to ensure the release of the 37 Tamil fishermen and their boats arrested by the Sri Lankan authorities earlier last week on September 21.
“I am writing to you regarding 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 ensure the early release of the fishermen and their boats,” the letter read.
The letter continued that despite their attempts to seek assistance from Sri Lankan authorities in a rescue operation, the fishermen were arrested for crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line.
The Congress MP highlighted the recurring nature of such incidents and wrote that “The fishing boats seized were community property purchased through pooled resources. The recurring incidents of small and marginal Indian fisherfolk being apprehended by Sri Lankan authorities, and the unjust seizure of assets 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 stop levying hefty fines on the fishermen and secure the release of all the arrested fishermen and their crafts.
Referring to the incident, Stalin said, “The Sri Lankan courts are levying penalties that are beyond the means of these fishermen.” Strong measures must be taken to prevent the Sri Lankan authorities from apprehending fishermen and their fishing boats, said the CM.
“Therefore, I request you to prevail upon the Sri Lankan govt to stop levying hefty fines on the fishermen and provide them with necessary legal assistance. Further, I urge you to secure the release of all the arrested fishermen and their fishing boats as soon as possible,” he added.
Addressing a separate similar incident on Thursday Stalin had written another letter to the external affairs minister requesting him to take necessary measures to secure the early release of Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested by the Bahrain Coast Guard.
In his letter to Jaishankar, Stalin mentioned that 28 fishermen from Idinthakarai fishing village in Tirunelveli district, who were engaged in fishing labour in Iran, were detained by the Bahrain Coast Guard on Sept 11 for inadvertently crossing the border. The boats belong to Iranian nationals.
The families of the fishermen, who are dependent on their income, have been severely impacted by the arrest, he added.