Chennai, Jan 25 (IANS): India cannot continue to be seen as a mute spectator as the rights of Indian fishermen are repeatedly trampled upon, said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.

In a letter to India's External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar citing the attack on Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan nationals, Stalin said: "I am constrained to point out that these incidents of attacks by Sri Lankan Nationals are disconcerting. This has become a matter of life and death for thousands of our fisherfolk whose livelihood is under serious threat."

"India cannot continue to be seen as a mute spectator as the rights of Indian fishermen are repeatedly trampled upon," Stalin said.

He urged the Indian government to take this up with the Sri Lankan Government in a stern manner such that acts of physical assault and robbing or damaging of assets of Tamil Nadu fishermen does not take place in future.

On January 23, three Indian fishermen from Nagapattinam District were attacked by a group of unidentified Sri Lankan nationals around 9 p.m., while they were fishing near 16 Nm from Southeast of Vedaranyam coast, Stalin said.

In this attack, they were robbed of a 300 kg fishing net, GPS & VHF equipment, 30 litres of diesel and also were physically attacked. The injured fishermen are undergoing treatment in Government Hospital, Vedaranyam, he added.