Stop Sri Lankan Navy firing on TN fishermen, Stalin urges Jaishankar

Chennai, Aug 4 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to exert pressure on the Sri Lankan government not to attack Indian fishermen in the sea.

Citing the firing by Sri Lankan Navy on fishermen at Kodiyakkarai, Stalin, in a letter to Jaishankar, said that a permanent solution must be arrived at as the attacks are is affecting the livelihood of thousands of Indian fishermen.

While Indian fishermen were fishing from a registered boat near Kodiyakarai on August 1, the Sri Lankan Navy opened fire, injuring Kalaiselvan in his head. He was being treated at Nagapattinam government hospital while nine other fishermen in the boat escaped miraculously, he said.

"Unleashing violence on our fishermen without following international laws and practices is condemnable," Stalin said, noting India cannot remain a mute spectator to this outrage by the Sri Lankan Navy and that solution has to be found out immediately.

He said that the attack has caused great unrest among the people living in the coastal areas of the country and called upon the government to act immediately to protect the lives and equipment of Indian fishermen.