New Delhi
Congress MP from Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu, R Sudha met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in the national capital on Saturday and submitted a memorandum. He spoke to the Sri Lankan government and raised the demand for the release of the Indian fishermen.
The Congress MP urged the Central government to put pressure on Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka to release the Indian fishermen during his three-day visit to India on December 15-17. He requested External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to immediately release the 141 Indian fishermen captured by the Sri Lankan Navy and 198 fishing boats owned by Indian fishermen.
The Congress MP, during his meeting with the President, stressed the need for a permanent solution to the fishermen issue between India and Sri Lanka. He also appealed to the Central Government to take note of the Katchatheevu Agreement and take action to bring peace in the lives of 2.1 crore people living in the 14 coastal districts of Tamil Nadu. This is mentioned in the memorandum given to Jaishankar.
It reads, “The proposed visit of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayako to New Delhi on December 17, 2024, is another opportunity to highlight some serious social and international issues related to India and Sri Lanka. “There is also an opportunity to secure the release of illegally arrested Indian fishermen lodged in Sri Lankan jails and fishing boats and trawlers illegally seized by Sri Lanka.”
Let us tell you that the coast of Tamil Nadu is 1,076 kilometers long, which is about 15 percent of the total coastal length of India. Out of total 38 districts of the state, 14 are coastal. It also includes Mayiladuthurai. The other coastal districts are Tiruvallur, Chennai, Changalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari.
