UPA govt moves to placate Tamil Nadu fishermen, win allies

NEW DELHI: The United Progressive Alliance government has finally woken up to one of the biggest political issues in Tamil Nadu—Tamil fishermen in Sri Lankan jails—by getting the Sri Lankan fisheries minister to meet with Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday. The UPA’s move appears to be aimed at gaining favour with potential allies in the state.

The ministers agreed at the meeting in Delhi to set up a joint committee on fisheries. This will deal with fishermen getting arrested in India and Sri Lanka, the Gulf of Mannar ecosystem and conservation and management of marine wealth.

Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa unilaterally announced the release of 179 Sri Lankan fishermen lodged in Tamil Nadu jails a few days ago.

Sri Lanka was not ready to reciprocate, pointing out that it wanted the release of all fishermen from various jails in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and the Andaman and Nicobar islands.

It is in this context that the UPA, which is in search of an electoral ally in the state, is getting back all 292 fishermen (275 of them Tamils) from Sri Lankan jails in return for 212 Sri Lankan fishermen from Indian jails.

The Sri Lankan fisheries minister, Rajita Senaratne, met Pawar Wednesday afternoon and agreed to announce the joint committee before the meeting of the association of fishermen from both countries on January 20 in Chennai.

The joint committee will have representatives from the ministry of external affairs, the agriculture ministry and fishermen’s associations. The committee will be headed by Indian fisheries joint secretary Raja Shekhar Vundru.

The Sri Lankan Tamil issue and the regular arrest of fishermen are two of the most emotive issues in the state. The Opposition DMK had blamed Jayalalithaa for taking no action over Tamil Nadu fishermen languishing in Sri Lankan jails.