Arrest of fishermen attempt to spoil conducive atmosphere: J Jayalalithaa

CHENNAI: Slamming the latest arrest of Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has said that it was an attempt by some elements to "spoil" the conducive atmosphere created during the recent talks between the fishermen of the two countries.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday, the Chief Minister said she had initiated steps for talks between fishermen of the two countries and referred to the latest arrest of 38 fishermen from Ramanathapuram by the Lankan navy while they were fishing in their "traditional waters."

"It appears to me that this incident of apprehension is a deliberate attempt by elements in Sri Lankan navy to spoil the conducive atmosphere created by the recent talks. Such arrests and apprehension also directly impact the livelihood of the Tamil Nadu fishermen living in the Palk Bay Districts," she said in the letter, which was released today.

To preserve the conducive atmosphere and enable a pragmatic and workable solution to emerge for the day to day fishing activities of the fishermen to continue, she requested Singh to decisively impress upon the Sri Lanka government to advise its Navy to abstain from such acts of illegal abduction of innocent Indian fishermen.

She urged the Prime Minister to personally intervene and exhorted him to use diplomatic channels of the government 'in a concrete and decisive manner' to secure the release of the 38 fishermen arrested on January 29, including their six boats.