Fishermen issue: AIADMK demonstration at Rameshwaram today; DMDK’s at Delhi on Sept. 29

By Gopal Ethiraj, Chennai

CHENNAI, 25 September (asiantribune.com): The AIADMK supremo Ms. Jayalalithaa has asked her party workers to hold a massive demonstration at Rameswaram on Friday urging the DMK government to act immediately to ensure the release of 21 Tamil fishermen, in which MGR Mandram secretary D Jayakumar and other office bearers would take part.

Condemning the ‘abduction’ of 21 fishermen from Rameswaram by the Sri Lankan navy last week, Ms Jayalalithaa charged that chief minister M. Karunanidhi remained a silent spectator to the continuing atrocities of the Sri Lankan navy on Tamil fishermen. He did the same during the last phase of Sri Lankan war when thousands of Tamil civilians were massacred, she said.

Ms Jayalalithaa said the Lankan navy had abducted 21 fishermen and five fishing boats when nearly 400 fishing boats ventured into the sea from Rameswaram on September 16. She pointed out that the incident had even set off an indefinite strike by the fishermen. But Mr. Karunanidhi had stopped with a statement of condemnation, she said.

Issuing statements would not help the fishermen who are suffering at the hands of Sri Lankan navy, the AIADMK supremo said and added Mr. Karunanidhi was soft attitude towards the Centre. And “Central government does not give any significance to the issue of fishermen,” she said.

DMDK fast at New Delhi

The DMDK president Mr. Vijayakanth has called for a fast in New Delhi on September 29 and has sought an appointment with the Prime Minister and the Union Minister for External Affairs S.M. Krishna.

The DMDK president dubbed the Congress-DMK MPs’ delegation to New Delhi a couple of days before to petition prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh on IDPs in the island nation as “nothing but an eye wash.”

He wondered why Union minister for chemicals and fertilizers M. K. Alagiri was not part of the New Delhi delegation when other “ministers enacted the drama.”

Demanding a permanent solution to put an end to Sri Lankan Navy’s continuous attack on Indian fishermen Mr. Vijayakanth held Mr Karunanidhi responsible for all harassment the Indian fishermen were subjected to by the Lankan Navy. He said Karunanidhi had maintained silence when the islet was ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974 during his regime.

“While the LTTE was blamed for the firing at fishermen till sometime back, how is it, it is continuing when the Sri Lankan government claims to have eliminated the movement?” he asked.