CM Stalin writes to Union government on securing release of T.N. fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy

Politics Politics of India

Posted by AI on 2025-08-07 10:11:12 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-06-22 18:44:43

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Fishermen from Tamil Nadu have been repeatedly arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy, despite a 2022 agreement between the two countries to demarcate a clear maritime boundary.

14 fishermen from Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam and Pudukottai districts were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on January 19 and 20. It was the 17th such incident in 2025, said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in a letter to the Prime Minister.

Mr. Stalin pointed out that the latest arrest of 14 fishermen was the 17th such incident in 2025 and that there were at least 61 fishermen from the state in Sri Lankan custody. He requested the PM to take up their release and safe return with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and also to ensure that such incidents did not recur.

The CM said that the fishermen from Tamil Nadu were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy while they were engaged in their traditional livelihood of fishing in the Palk Bay, despite the maritime boundary agreement having been signed in May 2022.

"This is an unfortunate development," he said, adding that the arrest of Indian fishermen by Sri Lanka repeatedly constituted a "serious breach" of the agreement.

Stalin also requested that the central government take necessary measures to secure the release and early return of the fishermen to their families, besides ensuring that such incidents do not recur in the future.

This is not the first time that fishermen have been arrested in this area so how does this impact India-Sri Lanka relations? What is the intended outcome of Mr. Stalin's letter? While the CM's prompt attention to this issue is commendable, it remains to be seen what action the central government will take to resolve this ongoing dispute.

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