Tamil Nadu Fishermen Protest Against Sri Lanka Navy's Detention

Tamil Nadu fishermen protested the Sri Lankan Navy's detention of 17 Indian fishermen and the seizure of two boats. Chief Minister MK Stalin and Rahul Gandhi have urged the External Affairs Minister to secure their release. The fishermen were detained while fishing near Nedunthivu.

Fishermen from Tamil Nadu took to the streets on Sunday, staging a protest against the Sri Lankan Navy's detention of 17 Indian fishermen and seizure of two boats off Rameswaram's coast. Visuals showed protesters, both men and women, sitting on the streets, raising their voices and chanting slogans.

The apprehended fishermen have been identified as Markmillan (37), Milton (49), Ronald (48), Sesuraja (45), Jeevan Frisher (22), Suresh (45), Arul Dhinakaran (24), Durai (39), and Maria Sethin (26) from Thangachimadam, as well as Ardiya Nicho (26), Jebastian (38), Rajeev (36), Vivek (36), Innachie (36), Samuel (33), Brichan (31), and Bhaskaran (30). The boats belonged to fishermen Thangachimadam Vyadaraj and Thangachimadam Selvam. The Rameswaram fishermen association stated they were fishing in the Palk Bay area near Nedunthivu, having set out to sea with 309 boats. The fishermen had permission from the Rameswaram Fisheries Department the previous day. They were taken to Mannar port for questioning.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday, requesting him to ensure the release of the 17 fishermen. Stalin highlighted that the incident occurred near Neduntheevu on September 29, 2024, and urged the need for diplomatic steps to resolve the issue, which causes "serious distress and uncertainty" among coastal communities.

Earlier, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter to Jaishankar asking for the release of 37 Tamil fishermen detained by Sri Lankan authorities on September 21. He mentioned that the fishermen had attempted to rescue a Sri Lankan boat in distress and were arrested for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line.

The frequent arrests of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy continue to be a contentious issue for both the Tamil Nadu government and the BJP-led central government.

(With inputs from agencies.)