தமிழக மீனவர்கள் படகுகளை இலங்கை அரசுடைமை என அறிவித்திருப்பது, இருநாட்டு வெளியுறவு அமைச்சர்களின் பேச்சுவார்த்தைக்கு எதிரானது #TNFishermen

DMK leader M.K. Stalin voiced strong condemnation on December 31, 2016, over the Sri Lankan government's unilateral declaration nationalizing confiscated motorized fishing trawlers and boats belonging to Tamil Nadu fishermen. Stalin stated that this aggressive and provocative action directly undermined upcoming bilateral talks between the foreign ministers of India and Sri Lanka scheduled to resolve prolonged fishing disputes peacefully.

Stalin pointed out that hundreds of impounded boats, representing the life savings and sole livelihood assets of coastal families, were deliberately being left to rot or seized permanently by Sri Lankan authorities. Such punitive actions inflicted catastrophic economic misery on coastal communities in Rameswaram, Nagapattinam, and Pudukkottai. He criticized the Union Government for its passive diplomatic posture, arguing that weak responses had emboldened Sri Lanka to act with utter impunity against Indian citizens.

The opposition leader demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj lodge an immediate, forceful diplomatic protest with Colombo. Stalin insisted that the retrieval of all impounded boats and unconditional release of detained fishermen must form non-negotiable preconditions during bilateral negotiations. He affirmed that the DMK remained unshakeable in defending the rights and maritime heritage of Tamil fishermen.