Sri Lanka set free eleven Indian fishermen on account of PM Modi’s “humane approach” appeal.

Sri Lanka has set free 11 Indian fishermen from captivity following Prime Minister Modi’s request with the fishermen dispute on compassionate grounds. This event took place on April 6, 2025, a Sunday, just one day after Modi reiterated the need to tackle issues concerning the sustenance of the people involved.  

As he was leaving the summit with President Dissanayake, PM Modi checked with the media and said, “We talked about the problems of the fishermen and came to a conclusion that there should be some sympathy.” He further added that there must be much more done to free the fishermen and their boats.  

According to some reports, the gesture of releasing the 11 Indian fishermen has been reported to be out of goodwill by Sri Lanka which shows the soft underbelly of the historically sensitive fisherman issue that has time and again strained relations between the two nations.  

There have been several incidents reported of Indian fishermen with Sri Lankan Navy soldiers engaging in skirmishes in the Palk Strait, the strait separating the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the nation of Sri Lanka. During an address to the press on Saturday, Foreign Secretary Misri said that this is a matter that most people have a sense of empathy for as the other side of the issue was understood so well by those involved.