Chennai, Jan 31: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has said some “elements” within the Sri Lanka Navy are bent “spoil” the conducive setting created between the fishing communities of 2 nations.
Referring to the detention of 38 Indian fishermen on Jan 29 by the Sri Lanka Navy whereas fishing within the Palk Strait, she aforesaid in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh: “It seems to me that this incident is an endeavor by elements in the Sri Lanka Navy to deliberately spoil the conducive atmosphere created by the recent talks.
“Such arrests and apprehension also directly impact the livelihood of the Tamil Nadu fishermen living in the Palk Bay Districts.”
Jayalalithaa wrote to the prime minister Thursday and her letter was released to the media here Friday.
“In order to preserve the conducive atmosphere and to enable a practical and workable solution…for the daily fishing activities of the fishermen to continue, I request you to resolutely impress upon the govt of Sri Lanka to advise its navy to abstain from such acts of illegal abduction of innocent Indian fishermen,” she said.
On Jan 27, representatives of the fishing communities’ of the 2 nations met here to arrive at a consensus on the fishing rights in the Palk Strait and also putting an end to the attacks on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lanka Navy.
