Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has written to Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar requesting diplomatic intervention to secure the early release of six Indian fishermen arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy on May 10 on charges of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line.
The fishermen — Alex, Anthoni Rajan, Santhana Alocias, Arul They Britto, Albert and Sahaya Selvashanu — are from Mandapam in Ramanathapuram District. They ventured out to sea on May 10 and were arrested along with their fishing boat, the Tamil Nadu government said in a statement on Tuesday, according to Newswire.
In his letter, the Chief Minister urged Jaishankar to use all available diplomatic channels to secure the prompt release of the detained fishermen and their boat. Vijay also highlighted that 54 Indian fishermen are currently lodged in Sri Lankan prisons while 264 fishing boats have been impounded by Sri Lankan authorities.
The intervention marks the first time the Tamil Nadu Vijay-led government has formally requested External Affairs Ministry action on a Sri Lanka fishermen arrest, escalating the issue from local protest to state-to-Centre representation just over a week into Vijay’s tenure. The Chief Minister, who took oath on May 10 and unveiled three welfare schemes on day one, faces recurring pressure from Mandapam, Rameswaram and Nagapattinam fishing communities over Sri Lanka Navy arrests.
Earlier this year the Navy arrested four Tamil Nadu fishermen in Mannar over a fishing ban, 10 Indian fishermen on April 9, 12 Indian fishermen off Jaffna on April 12 and seized an Indian fishing boat off Mannar on April 15. The recurring arrests are a long-standing irritant between Colombo and Chennai. Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake last week received a congratulatory message from Sajith Premadasa to Vijay on his appointment.
