Chennai, Jan 1 (IANS) The 20 Indian fishermen, who were released from jails in Sri Lanka, reached Chennai by flight, said officials here on Wednesday.
The fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy a year ago. They are residents of the Tamil Nadu districts of Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, and Tuticorin, and were in Sri Lankan judicial custody.
After negotiations between the Indian and Sri Lankan governments, the latter released the 20 fishermen.
They were handed over to Indian embassy officials, who provided them with temporary citizenship certificates. The fishermen were then flown from Colombo to Chennai airport.
Upon arrival at Chennai airport, the fishermen underwent citizenship verification, customs checks, and other formalities before being released.
They were then greeted by fisheries department officials, who arranged for them to be taken to their hometowns in separate vehicles.
It may be recalled that fishermen associations across Tamil Nadu have been organising large-scale protests in coastal districts following the regular arrests of fishermen from the state.
They have written to the Prime Minister, urging him to intervene and end the mid-sea arrests and seizures of mechanised boats, which form the backbone of the livelihoods of the fishermen.
Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had recently discussed this issue with visiting Sri Lankan President Anura Dissanayake, highlighting the frequent arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the country’s Navy.
PMK President and former Union Minister Anbumani Ramadoss also called for strong intervention by the Centre to prevent further arrests of Indian fishermen.
It may be noted that 504 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu are in the custody of Sri Lankan authorities. Around 48 mechanised fishing boats are also in the custody of the Sri Lankan authorities.
A. Thajudhin, General Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Meenavar Peravai, emphasized the growing hardships faced by fishermen and their families. “The livelihood of our fishermen is under threat. Thousands of families who rely on fishing and related activities are facing severe hardship. A sense of fear has already gripped fishermen and their families about venturing out to sea,” he said.
Thajudhin also raised concerns about the Sri Lankan government’s decision to nationalize seized mechanised fishing boats. “This action will devastate the industry, as many fishermen have taken loans to purchase these expensive boats, expecting to repay them through their earnings,” he explained.
Fishermen’s associations across Tamil Nadu are organising large-scale protests across coastal districts.
–IANS
aal/dpb
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
