Indian Fishermen's Arrests In Sri Lanka Rooted In Emergency-Era Pact: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated on Friday (27 June) that an agreement signed with Sri Lanka during the Emergency period has been the cause of Indian fishermen getting arrested by Sri Lankan authorities, reported The Indian Express.

Addressing a mock Parliament organised by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, Jaishankar weighed in on the impact of the Emergency on India’s foreign policy.

“At the time, several big decisions would be taken without a debate. These days, there is a discussion about our fishermen going to Sri Lanka and getting arrested there. That is because of an agreement signed with Sri Lanka at the time of Emergency, under which the rights of the fishermen to fish in some part of Sri Lankan waters were given up by us," Jaishankar said.

He added, “If it was not for an Emergency Parliament, if Parliament at the time was a genuine Parliament, there would have been a debate and I do not know if the Parliament would have allowed such an agreement.”

The EAM said that decisions taken over the agreement with Sri Lanka still show their impact in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Government data indicates Sri Lanka arrested over 528 Indian fishermen in 2024.

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