Act against Sri Lanka, urges Tamil Nadu CM

Chennai: As Tamil Nadu fishermen poured out their anguish during a State minister’s visit to Nagapattinam district in the State on Sunday and highlighted their insecure feeling caused by the Sri Lankan authorities, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami accused the Centre of hardly doing anything to pressure Colombo to “desist from day-to-day harassment and arrest of our fishermen.”

In his first letter on Tamil Nadu fishermen issue to the Centre, Mr. Edappadi Palaniswamy accused the government of India of leaving fishermen at the mercy of Sri Lankan navy.

Tamil Nadu has been repeatedly urging the Centre to sanction a comprehensive project for conversion of mechanised trawlers into deep-sea long-liners and create the infrastructure to resolve the issue. 

“On the Centre’s advice, the first batch of fishermen has also been trained in deep sea long-liner fishing operations. But, despite our repeated requests, neither has the Rs 1,650 crore package been approved by Government of India nor does there seem to be adequate pressure built up on Sri Lanka to desist from day-to-day harassment and arrest of our  fishermen,” Palaniswami wrote in a letter to Modi. The letter highlights that 32 fishermen and 5 fishing boats have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy in three incidents on March 4 and 5.

Meanwhile, anguished fishermen thronged Handlooms Minister O. S. Manian who visited the Akkaraipet in Nagapattinam district on Sunday and complained that no steps have been taken to secure the release of the fishermen or their boats.

“Our apprehensions are increasing by the day. There is no sense of security as our fishermen are being attacked and our boats damaged by the Sri Lankan authorities,” they said.

Manian, who gave a patient hearing, said the State government did not have the power to release the captured fishermen. “It is only the Centre that can intervene. We will prevail upon the Central government to secure their release,” he assured.