New Delhi [India], August 5 (ANI): Representatives from the Tamil Nadu fishermen associations met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Delhi on Monday.
Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai was also present at the meeting.
After the meeting, S Jaishankar told ANI, “There has been an increase in the number of detentions of our fishermen and one unfortunate incident where one of our fishermen lost his life”.
The EAM added, “Annamalai ji has got all the key associations here. They were explaining their problems. Some of it pertains to the Foreign Ministry and some of it to the Fisheries Ministry. The Secretary of the Fisheries Ministry was also present at the meeting. We have said we will look at this”.
“At the end of the day, it should not be a political problem, it is a matter of their livelihood, safety, security and occupation. We should find some reasonable way,” he said.
Jaishankar said that they secured the release of the 20 fishermen on Monday.
“Our Union Government and High Commission have always worked. Just now we got 20 fishermen released. We will see if we can have a meeting of the fishermen’s association and joint working group. That is the assurance I have given,” the EAM added.
Meanwhile, Fishermen associations in Tamil Nadu’s Rameswaram launched an indefinite strike on Saturday following the death of a fisherman by a Sri Lankan Navy vessel at 5 nautical miles north of Katchatheevu Island.
A meeting of the fisherman association was held at Rameswaram on Friday after which an indefinite strike was announced. The strike follows the death of K Malaisamy after his boat sank after being rammed by a Sri Lankan Navy patrol boat.
On Friday night Sri Lanka handed over the deceased fisherman’s body to the Indian Navy at Sea, the Lankan Navy also released two apprehended fishermen. Indian Navy ship, INS Bitra, which was on deployment off Rameshwaram coordinated with a Sri Lankan Navy ship and received the fishermen and the dead body at sea.
The Indian Navy ship then proceeded to Rameshwaram, where a Navy Officer from the Naval Detachment coordinated with the Marine Police and Fisheries Department of the Tamil Nadu state government, to transfer the mortal remains and the released fishermen. (ANI)
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