Chennai

Insisting that TN fishermen should also have a share in the construction, TN Fish Workers’ Forum president M Ilango told DTNext , “Already Indian fishermen are not being allowed to rest or dry nets on the disputed island. If the church is allowed, the island will become a threat to India.” To drive home his point, he said “the island was ceded without parliamentary approval and today the Lankan government has set up a naval camp,” he said.

Further, in a startling disclosure, Ilango alleged that Lanka has planned to store arms in the church, like the pile up done by the Punjab terror outfit Khalistan in the Golden Temple in 1980s.

Rameswaram Mechanised Vessels Association president S Emerrit said, “Unless, joint construction of the church is allowed, our annual pilgrimage will also be affected.”

Accusing the BJP government at the Centre of extending sops to the island nation, TN Kadalora Visaipadagu Meeanavargal Sangam president NJ Bose said, “It will be better if the Centre bears half of the construction cost.”

CITU-based TN fishermen’s federation general secretary C R Senthil said, “Since the existing church was built by a non-Christian with material from Rameswaram, it will be better if Lanka takes India’s support for the new church.”

Fishermen’s leader E Jesuraj said, “The shrine is where fishermen from both nations met and ironed out differences. Now, Sri Lanka’s bid to raise a new church has only hurt the sentiments of Rameswaram fishermen.”

However, lawyer C Thangamani said such a demand is akin to interfering in internal affairs of a nation. “It cannot be called a disputed territory as the island has a Sir Lankan naval camp. Only when the island is returned to India, can Indian fishermen make such demands,” he added.  

South Asian Fishermen’s Fraternity general secretary Fr. A. Churchill said “after the government ceded the island, the state and central governments cannot talk about the church construction. It was the fishermen’s right. Similar to the LTTE issue, this is also now being politicised.”

Regarding the claim that the church may be used to store arms, he said, “there is already a navy camp and there seems to be no need for such an action.”

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