The Hindu : Fishermen issue: T.N. MPs' plea

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 07, 2003

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Fishermen issue: T.N. MPs' plea

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI MARCH 6. The plight of the 58 Indian fishermen languishing in jails in Sri Lanka, found expression in the Lok Sabha today as MPs from the AIADMK, the DMK, the PMK and the MDMK and Mani Shankar Aiyer of the Congress, sought the Centre's intervention for their early release. They also urged the Government to lodge a strong protest with Colombo.

The issue was raised by P.H. Pandian of the AIADMK. He drew the Government's attention to the issue and referred to the letter by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, to the Centre, seeking its immediate intervention. He was joined by members from the DMK, the MDMK, the PMK and Mr. Aiyer (Cong.).

Mr. Pandian said the fishermen were assaulted by the Sri Lankan police personnel.

He had also raised the matter with the External Affairs Ministry. The Lok Sabha Speaker, while expressing his sympathies with the plight of the fishermen, rejected the adjournment motion.

Later, a delegation of DMK and MDMK MPs led by the DMK Rajya Sabha leader, S. Viduthalai Virumbi, met the External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha and drew his attention to another incident which occurred after the MPs had raised the matter in the House on Tuesday.

They said the detention of the fishermen and seizure of their vessels had created tension and panic not only in Ramanathapuram district but also the coastal area of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.

Other MPs in the delegation included S.S. Palanimanickam, C. Krishnan, C. P. Thirunavukkarasu, V. Vetriselvan, Adhisankar, M. Sankaralingam, C. Kuppusamy, A. Krishnaswamy, A.K.S. Vijayan and A.D.K. Jayaseelan.

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