Centre, State should work together for fishermen cause: OPS

Former chief minister and AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam on Thursday reiterated his demand that both the Union and the state governments work together towards finding a permanent solution for the issues related toTamil Nadu fishermen, who are regularly beingarrested by the Sri Lankan authorities.

The AIADMK leader in a statement said the incidence of Tamil fishermen being detained and arrested by the Lankan navy has been going unchecked for some time.

Last December, a total of 68 fishermen were detained and their boats remanded by the Lankan authorities. Subsequently, during January and February, there were different incidents in which the Tamil fishermen were detained at mid-sea and later arrested by the Sri Lankan navy.

Besides the action by Lankan authorities, the Sri Lankan fishermen also damage the boats of Tamil fishermen, destroy nets and loot the fish catch. All these atrocities and rights violations are going unchecked. But on humanitarian grounds, the Indian government had accepted the flood-hit Lanka’s request to provide three lakh tonne rice.

The detention of Tamil fishermen by Sri Lanka is contrary to the gesture extended by India. It is high time the Union and the state government intervene on the issue and ensure that the Tamil fishermen are allowed to fish in their traditional waters.

The governments should take action and prevent Lankan authorities from arresting Tamil fishermen, he said.