தமிழக மீனவர்களை இந்திய கடற்படை சுட்டதாகவும்,இந்தியில் பேசுமாறு கட்டாயப்படுத்தியதாகவும் குற்றச்சாட்டு எழுந்துள்ள நிலையில், மத்திய அமைச்சர் நிர்மலா...

DMK working president M.K. Stalin issued a fiery rejoinder on November 18, 2017, condemning Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her dismissive attitude toward Tamil fishermen. A group of fishermen from Tamil Nadu alleged that they were fired upon by Indian Navy personnel in the Palk Bay and subsequently coerced to speak in Hindi during aggressive maritime interrogation. Stalin expressed deep outrage that instead of ordering a fair, transparent investigation, the Defence Minister summarily rejected their harrowing accounts.

Stalin stated that trivializing the traumatic experiences of hard-working coastal laborers constituted a grave insult to the dignity and self-respect of the Tamil people. Coastal fishermen already endure perpetual hazards from the Sri Lankan Navy, and facing hostility from their own nation's armed forces was unconscionable. The reported insistence on Hindi communication, he argued, illustrated an insensitive chauvinism alienating non-Hindi-speaking citizens.

The DMK leader demanded an impartial judicial inquiry into the firing episode and strict accountability for officers who endangered civilian lives. He called upon the union government to sensitize maritime forces operating along southern coasts and respect linguistic diversity. Stalin affirmed that the DMK will vigorously resist any attempts to marginalize Tamil fishermen or dilute their rights.