Jayalalithaa expresses anguish over continuing arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lankan navy

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday expressed her anguish over the repeated apprehension and incarceration of a large number of Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan navy.

"This is even more heart-rending in the context of all the proactive steps that have been taken by my government in recent weeks to facilitate direct talks between the Tamil Nadu fishermen and Sri Lankan fishermen which created an overall environment of goodwill," Jayalalithaa said, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

In the latest incident, 19 fishermen from Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram districts were arrested and their five mechanized boats were seized by the Sri Lankan navy. These fishermen set out for fishing from Kottaipattinam and Mandapam North fishing bases on Saturday.

She said the repeated arrests would give rise to greater frustration in the minds of the fishermen community in Tamil Nadu, not only about the attitude of the Sri Lankan regime, but also about the inability of the Indian government to effectively protect their interests.

"It also leads the Tamil Nadu fishermen to wonder whether there is a deliberate attempt on the part of the Sri Lankan navy to derail the process of finding a peaceful resolution to the issue," Jayalalithaa said. She sought the PM's intervention to use diplomatic channels to secure the safe release of 57 fishermen, including 38 arrested on January 29.