India should 'exert pressure' on Colombo to ensure there was no violence on the Tamil Nadu fishermen while other issues like damaging their boats should also end immediately, Chief Minister M K Stalin said in a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
File photo
Chennai:
Expressing concern over an Indian fisherman sustaining injury after the Sri Lankan navy allegedly opened fire, the Tamil Nadu government has urged the Centre to ensure a 'lasting political solution' to the issue.
India should 'exert pressure' on Colombo to ensure there was no violence on the Tamil Nadu fishermen while other issues like damaging their boats should also end immediately, Chief Minister M K Stalin said in a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Quoting from the letter by Stalin, an official release here on Wednesday said he flagged the instance of a fisherman from Nagapattinam sustaining injury after Sri Lankan naval personnel allegedly fired upon a group of fishermen.
Such incidents were against international laws and practices, the release said quoting Stalin's letter.
"This incident has created a big outrage in Tamil Nadu, especially in coastal areas," he was quoted as saying.
It was the country's "responsibility" to protect the lives and property of the fishermen and ensuring Sri Lanka follows international laws, he added.
These were condemnable and the country can't turn a "blind eye," he said.
India should, therefore "exert pressure" on Sri Lanka to ensure no violence is unleashed on the fishermen and stop forthwith damaging their equipment, Stalin said in the letter, according to the release.
"I request that a lasting political solution is worked out to this issue, which affects the life and livelihood of thousands of fishermen," Stalin said.
A fisherman belonging to Nagapattinam district sustained head injuries as Sri Lankan Navy allegedly opened fire when he was fishing along with others off the Kodiakarai coast recently.
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