Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin wrote to the Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday seeking his immediate intervention in ensuring the safety of Indian fishermen on the high seas and bring to book the Sri Lankan nationals who attacked fishermen from Tamil Nadu on Monday.
‘Recent reports have highlighted an increased number of attacks on Tamil fishermen by Sri Lankan nationals and on August 21, 2023, alone, nine instances were reported,’ Stalin said in his letter to Jaishankar, adding: ‘These incidents are causing serious harm to their morale and impact livelihood severely.’
The attackers had inflicted physical harm on Indian citizens besides robbing them of their belongings and leaving them helpless and distressed, he said.
‘The injured fishermen had to undergo medical treatment in government hospitals, which underscores the gravity of the incidents,’ he said.
The livelihood of the fishermen was intricately tied to the oceans and the recurring acts of violence not only jeopardized their lives and well-being but also hindered their ability to sustain their families and communities, he said.
Such incidents undermined the spirit of peaceful coexistence and violated the fundamental rights of the fishermen and the principles of international maritime law, he said.
He urged Jaisankar to intervene at the earliest and take necessary steps to request the Sri Lankan authorities to take swift and decisive action to identify and bring the perpetrators of these attacks to justice and utilize diplomatic channels to engage with the Sri Lankan government and express India's strong concern over these incidents and the safety of Indian citizens.
