MK Stalin Urges S Jaishankar For Intervention As Sri Lanka Arrests Tamil Nadu Fishermen

In a strongly worded letter, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has urged External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to take immediate diplomatic action to secure the release of 14 Indian fishermen apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy on August 6 for allegedly trespassing into Sri Lankan waters.

The fishermen, along with their mechanised fishing vessel and a country boat, were intercepted in the early hours and taken into custody. Mr Stalin pointed out that this marks the 17th such arrest incident in 2025, bringing the total to 80 fishermen and 237 boats currently held by Sri Lankan authorities. 

"Despite repeated appeals, these arrests continue unchecked. Our fishermen are losing their livelihood and freedom in traditional waters. Urgent diplomatic intervention is required," Mr Stalin wrote.

This renewed appeal follows Mr Stalin's earlier public demand urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to personally intervene over the demand to retrieve Katchatheevu island India had gifted to Sri Lanka in the 70s. He had said "Only a direct intervention by the Prime Minister can bring a lasting solution for Tamil fishermen," taking aim at what he described as the BJP-led Centre's inaction and politicization of the issue.

Katchatheevu, a small island ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974, remains a flashpoint in Tamil Nadu politics. The Tamil Nadu Assembly had passed a unanimous resolution in April 2024 demanding that the Centre retrieve Katchatheevu to protect fishermen's rights.

While Indian fishermen sail into Lankan waters deliberately or accidentally, retrieval of Katchatheevu island would give them that much extra space to fish.

However, many argue, traditionally, fishermen from both sides fished in Lankan and Indian waters for ages and now they point out there is little fish in Indian waters, forcing them to trespass. In this context they want India to enter into a long-term lease agreement with Sri Lanka so Indian fishermen could legally fish in Lankan waters.

This issue that gets louder ahead of elections is also mired in political controversy with the BJP blaming the DMK ally Congress of ceding the island to Lanka when DMK was in power in the state in the 70s and the DMK blaming the BJP at the centre of not doing anything to undo it.