MP Kanimozhi blames Centre’s slackness for arrest of TN fishermen by Lankan Navy; leads demonstration in Rameswaram

DMK MP Kanimozhi leads protest against BJP government's inaction on fishermen arrests by Sri Lankan Navy, demanding resolution.

Leading a demonstration in the coastal district of Ramanathapuram along with hundreds of fishermen families and welfare association leaders, DMK MP Kanimozhi said that the slackness of the BJP government at the Centre was a major factor for the arrest of fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy personnel.

The nonchalant attitude of the Union government in the last 10 years had resulted in the arrest of over 3500 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and hundreds of their vessels impounded by the Sri Lankan government, Ms. Kanimozhi said. This had not only shattered the livelihood of scores of fishermen, but also made their lives miserable due to the rising debts and disorientation of families, she added.

Despite Chief Minister M.K. Stalin pleading to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene with his counterpart in Sri Lanka and resolve the issue permanently, the BJP leaders in New Delhi had not responded. Whenever the DMK MPs raised the issue in the Parliament, the replies from the Ministers concerned was cold and useless, Ms Kanimozhi said.

The fishermen here have been seeking for a high level talks with the fishermen in the Northern Province of the island nation. “What is the problem for the Prime Minister or the Minister for External Affairs in solving this issue could not be understood at all....” They never gave any proper response, she said.

Citing a few instances of rift between the fishermen of Norway and Russia, which were resolved, what prevented the Union Government from going ahead for arranging a meeting with the fishermen in Sri Lanka, Ms. Kanimozhi asked. She also said that issues between Australian and Indonesian fishermen were sorted out through dialogues. Likewise, the differences between USA and fishermen in Canada was solved.

Stating that there are problems all over, but leaders and governments had found solutions, Ms. Kanimozi said that the DMK would stand like a rock with the fishermen in their difficult times and added that the issue would be raised more frequently inside and outside the Parliament unless and until the Centre helped in resolving the issue.

Blaming the AIADMK and the BJP MPs for not concerned about the fishermen’s problems, Ms Kanimozhi said that when MPs from Kerala and West Bengal joined in the demonstrations in Parliament last week, the AIADMK stayed away. She wanted the fishermen to beware of the double standards of the AIADMK.