In my letter to Hon'ble @PMOIndia, I've suggested the initiation of bilateral talks and also urged him to take immediate steps to expedite the...

In an urgent letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin pressed the Union government to immediately resume high-level bilateral diplomatic talks with the Sri Lankan government to resolve recurring maritime disputes in the Palk Strait. Stalin specifically urged the Prime Minister to take expeditious diplomatic measures to secure the unconditional release of forty-one Tamil Nadu fishermen currently languishing in Sri Lankan custody.

The Chief Minister highlighted that alongside the detention of coastal fishers, the prolonged confiscation and proposed auctioning of mechanized fishing boats by Sri Lankan authorities have caused catastrophic financial ruin to artisanal and coastal fishing families. Fishing vessels represent the sole livelihood asset for coastal households, and their permanent loss drives families into severe economic destitution. Stalin called for reviving the Joint Working Group on Fisheries and facilitating structured talks between fishermen associations of both nations.

Stalin reaffirmed that safeguarding traditional fishing rights and protecting coastal workers from harassment at sea remain paramount duties of state governance. He urged the Union Ministry of External Affairs to treat the issue with humanitarian urgency, securing the immediate repatriation of all detained fishermen and their seized motorized boats.