Rahul urges EAM Jaishankar to secure release of TN fisherfolk arrested by SL Navy

Chennai, Sep 28 (IANS) Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to seek the latter's intervention to secure the release of 37 fisherfolk from Tamil Nadu who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on September 21 on charges of crossing the maritime boundary. 

The Congress leader in the letter mentioned that the Lok Sabha MP from Mayiladuthurai constituency, R. Sudha, apprised him that the arrested fishermen were fisherfolk engaged in small-scale business, and they were operating along the coast.

Rahul Gandhi stated in the letter that the day they were arrested, the fishermen attempted to rescue a Sri Lankan boat in distress.

He said that even as the fishermen had contacted Sri Lankan authorities for assistance to rescue the boat, they were arrested.

The Congress leader also mentioned that the fishing boats of the arrested fishermen that were seized by Sri Lankan authorities were community property bought by pooling resources.

Mayiladuthurai MP, R. Sudha had urged Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to order the release of Tamil Nadu fishermen who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on September 21.

She so requested the Sri Lankan President to order the release of the fishing boats taken into custody by the Sri Lankan Navy.

In a letter to Dissanayake, the MP said the Sri Lankan navy arrested 37 fishermen from Poompuhar, Chandirapadi, Vanagiri, Chinnamedu, and Madathukuppam in Mayiladuthurai parliamentary constituency, knowing fully well that they were all good Samaritans who had helped the Sri Lankan navy to retrieve the bodies of two Sri Lankan fishermen who drowned in the sea as their boat capsized.

She said that on September 21, a total of 43 fishermen from the Indian side in three boats alerted their Sri Lankan counterparts about the capsize of the Sri Lankan fishing boat and the death of two fishermen.

Sudha in the letter to the Sri Lankan President said: "Our kind-hearted men played good Samaritans, retrieved the bodies and helped the authorities take the mortal remains back to their grieving families in an honourable condition."

"When this tragic episode ended peacefully, who would have expected Sri Lankan Naval personnel to come back to unleash untold and unprovoked atrocities on our good Samaritan fishermen and arrest them illegally, violating every clause in international covenants and bilateral treaties?”

Sudha said that six of the 43 fishermen managed to escape but the remaining 37 were arrested, and their boats were seized by the Sri Lankan Navy.

The Congress MP also informed the Sri Lankan president that as of August 1, 2024, a total of 80 fishermen (excluding those from the Mayiladuthurai parliamentary constituency) and 173 fishing boats belonging to Indian fishermen were under the custody of Sri Lanka.