NEW DELHI: Led by the DMK, the opposition MPs on Friday raised the issue of Tamil fisherfolk being arrested and their boats seized by the Sri Lankan Navy and urged the Union government to find a lasting solution to the vexed issue.
The MPs held a protest in the Parliament complex before the House met on Friday and also raised the issue in Lok Sabha later.
The protest was joined by parliamentarians from several other opposition parties, including the Congress and Left MPs from Tamil Nadu. Other leaders who were a part of the protest included Derek O’Brien of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Sudama Prasad of the CPI(ML) Liberation.
The protesting MPs held up placards with slogans that read “Justice For Tamil Fishermen,” “Bring Back Our Fishermen,” “No More Arrests,” and “Tamil Nadu Fishermen Are Indians.”.
DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said the matter of Tamil fisherfolk’s arrest was a national issue as they were Indians being mistreated by Sri Lanka.
“Many other parties also took part in the protest. It is an issue that should not be restricted to the state. They are Tamil fishermen; they are Indians,” Siva told.
“Fishermen have been tortured, harassed, and killed for years, and the government has not taken any concrete steps to resolve the issue. Earlier, they (Sri Lankan authorities) used to assault them and take away their catch. Recently, they have started using weapons to shoot the poor fishermen,” the Rajya Sabha member said.
He claimed that the fisherfolk are scared of venturing out to sea, disrupting their livelihood.
Siva also said there was a proposal to include these fisherfolk in the Scheduled Tribe category.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore also demanded the Centre’s intervention in the matter and engagement with the Sri Lankan government.
“We are protesting against the continuing arrests of Tamil fishermen by Sri Lanka…” the Lok Sabha member said.
“The government of India must intervene. It should talk to the Sri Lankan authorities and stop the seizure of boats and other material from the fishermen,” he said.
DMK MP Kanimozhi said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar several times on the matter, urging them to find a permanent solution.
“The Sri Lankan Navy has been arresting and harassing Tamil Nadu’s fishermen… The Union government has not done anything. We demand that the fishermen be released, the boats returned, and a permanent solution found,” the Lok Sabha member said.
When Lok Sabha met at 11 am, the DMK members raised slogans demanding a permanent solution.
With the Chair’s permission, party MP Kanimozhi said fishermen from the state are being harassed and arrested by the Sri Lankan authorities, and more than 97 of them are lodged in jails of the neighbouring country.
She claimed that the fishermen are shot at and tortured, and over 210 fishing boats have been seized by Sri Lanka, impacting their livelihood.
The Tamil fisherfolk issue has been a bone of contention between India and Sri Lanka for several years.
The island nation’s navy has repeatedly been accused of firing at the Indian fisherfolk, who allegedly entered its territorial waters in the Palk Strait, and seizing their boats.
Earlier this month, the Sri Lankan authorities arrested 10 Indian fisherfolk and seized their boat for allegedly venturing into its territorial waters.
In 2024, the Sri Lankan Navy arrested more than 550 Indian fisherfolk for alleged illegal fishing.
