54 Tamil Nadu fishermen in Sri Lankan custody, 264 boats seized — CM Vijay urges Jaishankar for immediate diplomatic action

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has written to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, urging immediate diplomatic intervention to secure the release of six fishermen recently arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy and to retrieve their seized fishing boat. The request is part of a broader concern: 54 Tamil Nadu fishermen are currently held in Sri Lankan prisons following earlier arrests, and Sri Lankan authorities have so far seized 264 fishing boats belonging to Tamil Nadu fishermen.

CM Vijay expressed serious concern over the continuing pattern of arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lankan naval authorities and highlighted the growing distress among coastal fishing communities in the state. He urged Jaishankar to engage with the Sri Lankan government immediately through appropriate diplomatic channels.

The fishermen issue is expected to be a central plank of CM Vijay's forthcoming official visit to New Delhi, where he plans to meet Jaishankar in person alongside PM Modi and other Union Cabinet ministers. Coastal communities in Tamil Nadu have long demanded stronger Central intervention, and Vijay's early and direct outreach to the External Affairs Ministry signals that this issue will be a priority for his government.