From correspondents in Tamil Nadu, India, 05:00 PM IST
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Sunday expressed anguish over the alleged killings of Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait by the Sri Lankan Navy and requested the central government to ensure its immediate cessation.
'In spite of assurances given by the government of India, the fishermen of the state feel insecure for fear of attack from Sri Lanka without any warning,' Karunanidhi said in a personal letter addressed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, requesting him to intervene in the matter.
Providing statistics, Karunanidhi said: 'From January 2006 till date, 27 incidents of shooting (in the Palk Strait) have resulted in the killing (and injuries) of eight (locals) and 24 fishermen (respectively). The number of those apprehended during this period is 342.'
Referring to protests by the prime minister during the recently concluded summit of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) held at Colombo, Karunanidhi said 10 fishermen from Nagappattinam were apprehended by Sri Lanka Aug 9 and subsequent strafing Thursday left one fisherman injured.
'The Sri Lankan Navy continues to open fire recklessly resulting in injuries and deaths to Indian fishermen against the international laws of the sea,' Karunanidhi added.
India and Sri Lanka are separated by a narrow expanse of water called the Palk Strait.
The island's navy claims that it opens fire only on those Indian fishermen suspected of smuggling ordnance supplies to the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who have been carrying on a guerrilla war with the government of Sri Lanka to establish a separate Tamil homeland since 1983. The civil war has left over 75,000 people dead.
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CNCLD.GOVT. SHD.BEWARE, CERTAINLY NOT CONFER BHARAT RATNA ON K.for these deeds due to coalition pressures. Like almost any politician or party today in India, Mr Karunanidhi and his party are only time servers, seeking self interests, political and personal for self and kith and kin.
Mr Karunanidhi or his party when becomeing opposition will even join forces with LTTE and terrorise Tamilnadu and India unless India wages war along with LTTE to carve out Tamil Eelam. Yes, K. now pays sympathy with letter to PM, as he has to.Power and the money it brings keeps him like that.Earlier he composed a lilting poem praising a LTTE leader who caused death of thousands of Sinhalese and Tamil soliders/guerrillas/plain innocents.
Mr Karunanidhi must come out from his infantile attachment to LTTE sympathisers and Srilankan tamils just because they all speak Tamil. By K's logic,political leaders in north would need to put Indian national security and other interests below an absurd attachment to largely inimical Pakistan merely because of the common colloquial language.
The most of the Indian fishermen have been doing transport business for LTTE instead of fishing business and the Tamil Nadu politicians have been helping LTTE for money by protecting those fishermen. Now LTTE is facing lots of problem in Wanni and planning to send their family members to India safely with the help of Tamil Nadu politicians and the fishermen.The reality is, that this time Mr.Karunanidhi was approached directly by LTTE for millions of Ruppees to protect LTTE families.
The most of the Indian fishermen have been doing transport business for LTTE by the side of their fishing business and the Tamil Nadu politicians have been helping LTTE for money by protecting those fishermen. Now LTTE is facing lots of problem in Wanni and planning to send their family members to India safely with the help of Tamil Nadu politicians and the fishermen. This time Mr.Karunanidhi was approached directly by LTTE for millions of Ruppees to protect LTTE families.
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