The act of Sri Lankan navy to arrest Tamil fishermen even when the Covid-19 restrictions are in place is highly disappointing & unexpected. I...

DMK president M.K. Stalin expressed profound dismay over the high-handed arrest of thirty-six Tamil Nadu fishermen and the confiscation of their mechanized boats by the Sri Lankan Navy in the Palk Strait. Stalin characterized the aggressive naval action as deeply disappointing and unprovoked, particularly during ongoing pandemic restrictions that had already crippled traditional coastal fishing economies. He emphasized that recurring maritime detentions inflict severe psychological trauma and economic ruin on vulnerable fishing hamlets across Rameswaram, Nagapattinam, and Pudukkottai.

Stalin formally appealed to Union Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar to initiate urgent diplomatic negotiations with Colombo authorities to secure the unconditional release of the detained fishermen and retrieve their confiscated vessels. He asserted that motorized trawlers represent the sole livelihood asset of coastal fishing families, and abandoning equipment in foreign custody plunges coastal households into inescapable debt. Stalin urged the central government to formulate a permanent diplomatic mechanism that protects the traditional fishing rights of Indian citizens in historic waters.

The timely diplomatic intervention won widespread appreciation from coastal fishermen federations and trade unions across Tamil Nadu. Stalin pledged continuous advocacy for the safety, dignity, and economic rights of the state fishing community.