Warm welcome for repatriated Fishermen at Chennai airport

In a heartening turn of events, officials from the state fisheries department joined forces with BJP cadre to organize a warm reception at Chennai airport for 21 fishermen who were successfully repatriated from Sri Lanka on Friday.

The repatriation, facilitated by the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka, involved the return of 21 Indian fishermen out of a group of 48 who had been detained by the Sri Lankan Navy. The officials from the Fisheries Department, along with Munuswamy, the TN BJP Fisheries wing president, were present at the airport to extend a warm welcome to the returning fishermen.

The repatriated individuals, hailing from the Rameswaram area of Tamil Nadu and Pudukkottai district, had been detained on two separate occasions by the Sri Lankan Navy—first on December 6 near Neduntheevu and then again on December 9.

Notably, on December 9, an additional 27 fishermen from Karaikal, Ramanathapuram, and Pudukottai Districts were arrested and brought before a Sri Lankan court. Following these incidents, the Indian government initiated negotiations with its Sri Lankan counterpart to secure the release of the detained fishermen.

As a result of diplomatic efforts, a total of 21 fishermen—eight from Rameswaram and 13 from Pudukkottai district, who were arrested on December 6—were successfully released. After being under the supervision of Indian embassy officials for several days, the fishermen underwent COVID examinations before being flown to the Chennai airport.

The warm reception at the airport not only marked the end of a challenging period for the repatriated fishermen but also highlighted the collaborative efforts between government officials and political leaders to ensure the safe return of these individuals to their respective hometowns.

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