Jayalalithaa to Prime Minister: Ask Lanka to release fishermen immediately

Chennai: The Prime Minister's mailbox may well be overflowing! Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has been writing at least a couple letters to him every week. In her latest communication to Dr. Manmohan Singh, the AIADMK Chief has urged the Centre to "arrange for the immediate release of the 23 Rameshwaram fishermen to Tamil Nadu along with their 5 boats."

On Sunday, the Sri Lankan navy arrested the 23 fishermen while "fishing in the sea off Katchatheevu, in their traditional fishing waters" and seized their mechanised boats. The fishermen have been sent to jail in Thalaimannar for about two weeks.

Pointing out that this apprehension of Rameshwaram fishermen by the Lankan Navy is the second incident in the last fortnight, Ms Jayalalithaa has said that these incidents of "harassment by the Sri Lankan Navy have become a regular occurrence in the past two months, especially after the end of the fishing ban period."

Accusing the Lankan Navy of trying to "instill fear in the minds of the fishermen to prevent them from fishing in their traditional waters", the Chief Minister has said that the Tamil fishermen are now insecure and feel that "there is no guarantee for their life and property in the sea."

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Taking a dig at the island nation, Ms Jayalalithaa said that "the Sri Lankan Navy temporarily suspends apprehension and harassment activities only at times when diplomatic level meetings are convened between India and Sri Lanka on the fishing issue and resumes such activities immediately thereafter, much to the woe of our fishermen. It is impossible for the fishermen to conduct fishing which is the only occupation they know for the sustenance of their families."

Even as Ms Jayalalithaa has sought the Centre's intervention in preventing a recurrence of such incidents, fishermen began an indefinite strike. Bose, Secretary, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Fishermen's Joint Association, warns that "Till the Central and State Governments take action, and get our boats and the fishermen back, will be on indefinite strike. If nothing comes about, we will agitate on a larger scale."
 

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