Jayalalithaa writes to Modi on fishermen issue

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi yet again in connection with the detention of Indian fishermen by Sri Lanka and said there was a need for a decisive shift from the Centre in dealing with this issue.

Ms. Jayalalithaa, in her letter, asked Mr. Modi to direct the Ministry of External Affairs “to take concrete action through diplomatic channels to secure the immediate release of our 99 fishermen and 83 fishing boats including the 3 fishermen and their mechanised fishing boat apprehended on March 23.”

Traditional fishing rights

She said there was a need to restore the traditional fishing rights of Indian fishermen in the Palk Bay “by annulling the Indo-Sri Lankan agreements of 1974 and 1976 as the constitutional validity of these agreements have been challenged on extremely valid and legal grounds in the Supreme Court.”

She reiterated the demand to retrieve Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka.

(The Hindu)

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