17 fishermen from Rameswaram arrested by Sri Lanka, CM Stalin tells Centre
Chennai (PTI): Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday apprised the Centre of the arrest of 17 Tamil Nadu fishermen and seizure of their two boats by Sri Lanka and called for quick steps for their release and the boats as well.
Stalin, writing to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, said that 17 fishermen from Rameswaram were arrested and their two mechanised fishing boats were seized by the Sri Lankan Navy on December 24, 2024.
Also, Stalin brought to Jaishankar's notice, two separate incidents of attack on fishermen from Kodiyakkarai in Nagapattinam district by 6 unidentified Sri Lankan nationals on December 20.
"In this outrageous incident, three out of six fishermen who sailed in two country crafts were injured and their belongings such
as GPS equipment, VHF equipment, fishing net, mobile phone and their fish catch were robbed from their fishing boats by the attackers," the CM said in his letter.
Such frequent arrests and attacks made the lives of fishermen, who depend solely on fishing in their traditional waters, highly uncertain and dangerous.
"In 2024 alone, 530 fishermen were arrested and 71 boats have been confiscated till date. The recent apprehensions and attacks have created a sense of fear among the fishing folks who are solely dependent on fishing for their livelihood."
Hence, Stalin batted for concerted steps through diplomatic channels to secure the immediate release of all the arrested fishermen and their fishing boats. "I also request that diplomatic steps may be taken to ensure that such attacks do not occur in future."
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
NDRF, SDRF teams continue efforts to rescue 3-yr-old girl from borewell in Rajasthan
Jaipur, Dec 24: Efforts to rescue a three-year-old girl who fell into a 150 feet deep borewell in Kotputli-Behror district of Rajasthan continued on Tuesday.
The girl, Chetna, fell into the borewell while playing in the agriculture farm of her father on Monday.
SHO Sarund Mohammad Imran said teams of NDRF and SDRF are trying to rescue the girl safely.
Senior Commandant of NDRF Yogesh Meena said, "After failing to safely pull out the girl from the borewell with a ring rod, efforts are being made to pull her out with another local equipment made of iron plate."
The girl's actions were captured on camera and an oxygen pipe was lowered into the borewell to supply oxygen.
Two weeks ago, a five-year-old child fell into a borewell in Dausa district. The rescue operation to rescue the child safely lasted for more than 55 hours. However, by the time he was pulled out, the child had lost the battle of life.
