Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin has called on the Union government to take urgent diplomatic action following the arrest of seven Rameswaram fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy in the early hours of Sunday.
In a letter addressed to Union External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, Stalin expressed grave concern over the repeated apprehensions of Tamil Nadu fishermen operating in the Palk Strait and urged the Centre to engage diplomatic channels to secure their release.
“I urge the Union government to engage all available diplomatic channels to bring an end to these continued apprehensions. I further request that urgent and effective steps be taken to secure the release of all detained fishermen and their boats at the earliest,” Stalin wrote.
The Chief Minister also highlighted that 50 fishermen and 232 Tamil Nadu fishing vessels remain in Sri Lankan custody this year alone—worsening the economic and emotional hardship faced by their families.
Arrest Details
The most recent incident occurred around 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, when a mechanised trawler (IND-TN-10-MM-746) owned by V. Isaac Paul of Thangachimadam was intercepted near Neduntheevu by the Sri Lankan Navy. The boat had valid fishing tokens issued by the Tamil Nadu fisheries department and was reportedly operating close to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) when seized.
The arrested fishermen include:
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B. Ruther (40)
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P. Edison (48)
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K. Anbalagan (45)
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M. Jegadeesh (42) — all from Thangachimadam
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A. Shanmugam (56) and F. Dalvin Raj (42) — from Rameswaram
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M. Sakthivel (43) — from Keerathurai, Madurai
The group was initially detained at Kankesanthurai port and later remanded to judicial custody in Jaffna prison.
Second Incident and Local Outcry
In a separate incident the same morning, another mechanised boat (IND-TN-10-MM-1040), owned by Maria Seeron of Rameswaram, reportedly sustained severe damage after being hit by a Sri Lankan Navy patrol vessel between Katchatheevu and Neduntheevu. Fortunately, the seven fishermen onboard—Stalin, Muneeswaran, Viyakulam, Columbus, Nagesh, Stephen, and Sarath Kumar—escaped uninjured and returned safely to the Rameswaram jetty.
The arrests follow a series of similar incidents. In the last two weeks alone, 15 Indian fishermen have been remanded to judicial custody in Sri Lanka in two separate cases, with their remand periods extended after preliminary court hearings.
J. R. Jesu Raja, leader of the Rameswaram Fishermen Association, strongly condemned the arrests, stating:
“The fishermen had no intention to violate international boundaries. The Sri Lankan Navy is harassing them under the pretext of enforcement. One of the boats was even damaged while being chased.”
He appealed to both Union and state governments to take a firm stand to ensure the safety and dignity of Indian fishermen operating near the maritime boundary.
