DMK protests Lankan attacks on fishermen

The ruling DMK on Saturday staged a demonstration near the Sri Lankan deputy high commission here to protest the recent death of a fisherman from the state allegedly in an attack by Sri Lankan navy personnel off the Kodiakarai coast on July 7.

The rally turned out to be a demonstration of one-upmanship as rival parties have been targeting chief minister M. Karunanidhi, the Centre and the Sri Lankan government for attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen. Hundreds of party workers — mostly members of the fishermen’s wing from north and south Chennai led by party fishermen’s wing secretary R. Bernard — participated in the agitation that lasted over an hour, raising slogans denouncing the Sri Lankan government and its president Mahinda Rajapaksa for “perpetrating atrocities” on Tamil Nadu fishermen.
They also called for the Centre’s intervention to prevent such incidents in the future. They displayed placards that read ‘Racisit Rajapaksa, do not kill our fishermen’ and ‘Is it terrorism to cross the International Maritime Line?’
Later, Mr Bernard, accompanied by north Chennai and south Chennai district secretaries V.S. Babu and J. Anbazhagan, met Sri Lankan deputy high commissioner Vadivel Krishnamurthi and submitted a memorandum, demanding immediate action to end the attacks.
“Contrary to assurances given by the Sri Lankan government to India, Tamil Nadu fishermen are being repeatedly attacked by the Sri Lankan navy. Sri Lanka like India should follow due legal procedure and release fishermen straying into their waters without physically harming them,” the memorandum said.