In a welcome move, the Sri Lankan government on Monday decided to release all Indian fishermen in their custody before Thai Pongal Day on January 15 in order to mend relations with its neighbour.

“It will be carried out on mutual understanding between the two countries. The Indian High Commission in Colombo has also communicated with us on this matter and we want the Indian government to release Sri Lankan fishermen in their jails too,” Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told the Sri Lankan newspaper Daily FT.

The Minister Amaraweera though said that the fishing boats and trawlers belonging to the Indian fishermen would not be released so as to dissuade them from illegally entering Sri Lankan waters.

“We have made this policy decision not to release their boats and other fishing gear, mainly to discourage them intruding into our waters and destroying our marine resources,” he said.

However, with 29 fishermen from Tamil Nadu being arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) on December 29, the TN chief minister J Jayalalithaa has exhorted PM Narendra Modi to step in to sort out the issue.

Jayalalithaa in a letter to Modi claimed that there are 84 fishermen and 62 fishing boats languishing in SL custody.

“The recurrent instances of attacks upon, and abductions of, our fishermen on the high seas in the Palk Bay continue unabated and are a matter of serious concern affecting the life and livelihood of Tamil Nadu fishermen on a daily basis,” she said.

Meanwhile S Ramadoss, leader of the PMK said, “Incidents of the Sri Lankan navy falsely framing Indian fishermen and of the Sri Lankan navy infiltrating Indian waters, have increased. Apprehending innocent fishermen and remanding them in custody for nearly 3 months in prison are human rights violations and this is a very dangerous trend followed by Sri Lanka.”

SLN media spokesman Captain Alavi Akram however denied the allegations saying they were false.