Jaffna District MP S. Shritharan visited the Jaffna prison on Monday, where he met with Indian fishermen detained in Sri Lankan jails, following appeals from both Tamil Nadu and Tamil Eelam fishing communities.
The visit comes amid ongoing protests in Rameswaram, India, where fishermen have been demanding the release of their detained peers. Shritharan’s engagement with the prisoners aimed to address concerns from all sides, including local Eelam Tamil fishermen, who have voiced frustration over encroachments.
During his discussions with the detained Indian fishermen, they revealed that despite being held for 40 days, they had been allowed only one phone call to their families. They respectfully requested regular access to phone calls and proposed the installation of a television in the prison to remain informed about the outside world.
The issue of Indian fishermen clashing with Sri Lankan security forces remains a contentious one, particularly in the North-East, where Tamil fishermen have repeatedly accused both Indian trawlers and the Sri Lankan Navy of disrupting their livelihoods. Tamil representatives have long called for a sustainable resolution to the fishing crisis, one that protects Tamil fishermen’s rights while ensuring the humane treatment of detained Indian fishermen.
