Tamil Nadu fishermen face peril on the high seas
The HinduA series of brutal mid-sea attacks by assailants, suspected to be from Sri Lanka, has left fishers in Tamil Nadu seething with anger. The Vedaranyam Marine Police have since registered five cases on charges of attempted robbery, dacoity, and attempt to cause death or grievous hurt against 46 unidentified Tamil and Sinhalese-speaking Sri Lankan nationals. Stalin wrote a letter to the Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, drawing his attention to the assault on Indian fishermen, allegedly by “Sri Lankan nationals.” Besides asking Mr. Jaishankar to intervene at the earliest and request the Sri Lankan authorities to take decisive action against the assailants, Mr. Stalin also reiterated the need for pursuing diplomatic channels to find a lasting solution to the issue. Indian mechanised trawlers continue to face the wrath of the Sri Lankan Navy, as evident from the sporadic arrests of fishermen, for allegedly straying beyond the International Maritime Boundary Line.