Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay on Thursday urged the Centre to secure the early release and safe repatriation of 25 fishermen from Thoothukudi district who were detained by the Maldives Coast Guard along with three mechanised fishing boats.
In a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Vijay sought his personal intervention and urged him to take up the matter with the Maldivian government through appropriate diplomatic channels.
The Chief Minister said the fishermen were detained in the early hours of October 13, along with their three boats, which were also seized by the Maldivian authorities.
"I request you to kindly take up the matter with the Government of Maldives through appropriate diplomatic channels and facilitate the early release and safe repatriation of the fishermen and their boats," he wrote.
Vijay said Jaishankar's personal intervention would provide much-needed reassurance to the families of the detained fishermen and the wider fishing community.
"Your personal intervention would provide much-needed reassurance to the affected families and the fishing community," the Chief Minister added.
The letter seeks the Centre’s intervention to secure the release of all 25 fishermen and the retrieval of their three mechanised fishing boats.
Earlier this month, Vijay had written another letter to Jaishankar, requesting immediate action to secure the release of 20 Tamil Nadu fishermen and 270 fishing boats detained by the Sri Lankan Navy.
CM Vijay stated that such recurring incidents are causing significant concern and fear among Tamil Nadu's coastal fishing communities.
Fishermen from Ramanathapuram and adjoining coastal districts traditionally rely on the Palk Bay region as their primary source of livelihood. The arrests and boat seizures are subjecting their families to immense distress and severe economic hardship, the chief minister had.
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