13 hours ago
Fishermen's outfits appeal to bring back TN fishers stranded in Iran
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Madurai: Fishermen associations across Tamil Nadu's southern coastal districts, including Ramanathapuram, Tuticorin, Kanyakumari, and Tirunelveli, have raised alarm over hundreds of fishermen stranded in Iran amid the ongoing war.
They have urged the state and Union govts to take immediate action for their rescue and safe return.
On Monday, representatives from fishermen groups in Tuticorin and Kanyakumari spoke to reporters, sharing concerns expressed by families about the welfare of their loved ones stranded abroad. Sources from Tuticorin confirmed around 50 fishermen from the area are stuck in Iran.
"Over 1,000 fishermen from south Tamil Nadu are believed to be stranded in cities such as Bandar Abbas, Kish Island, Asaluyeh, and Shiruyeh," said P Justin Antony, president of the International Fishermen Development Trust, Kanyakumari.
"The families, mostly women, are demanding their immediate repatriation, similar to the emergency evacuation during the Covid-19 pandemic."
Karl Marx, leader of a fishermen association in Thangachimadam, Ramanathapuram, added that family members who recently spoke with those stranded in Iran are increasingly anxious due to the war situation and threats to their safety. They have appealed to local authorities and governments to act swiftly.
Earlier on Sunday, Kanyakumari MP Vijay Vasanth highlighted the issue and wrote to the external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, urging his urgent intervention to ensure the fishermen's safe return.
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