‘Modi must hold direct negotiations with Sri Lankan President to permanently resolve the livelihood issues of T.N. fishermen’

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K. Selvaperunthagai said Prime Minister Modi must hold direct negotiations with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to reach an agreement that permanently resolves the livelihood issues of Tamil Nadu fishermen.

In a statement, he said, “The Sri Lankan Navy has been frequently arresting Tamil Nadu fishermen and seizing their boats. In 2024 alone, they have confiscated 72 fishing boats and arrested 554 Tamil Nadu fishermen, filing cases against them. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has written multiple letters to the Union BJP Government’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the continuous arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen, yet the issue remains unresolved. Instead of addressing this crisis, the BJP is trying to divert attention by bringing up the Katchatheevu issue, despite fishermen knowing well that it has no connection to their ongoing struggles,” he said.

Mr. Selvaperunthagai said that Rameswaram is 12 nautical miles from the international maritime boundary while Katchatheevu is 14 miles away. “The reality is that due to the depletion of fish resources in Indian waters and the abundance of fish in Sri Lankan waters, Tamil Nadu fishermen are forced to fish there for their livelihood,” he said.

Despite BJP being in power for more than a decade, the Union government has not taken any effective steps, he charged.