The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, O Panneerselvam, urged the Indian prime minister to ensure a "firm, clear, unequivocal and unambiguous" response to Sri Lanka's recent arrest of 37 fishermen, reports The Hindu.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, Mr Paneerselvam wrote:
“It is unfortunate that this incident has taken place immediately after the third round of fishermen-level talks which were held at Chennai on March 24."
"At a time when we were hopeful that a pragmatic and permanent solution to this issue would emerge as a result of the fishermen-level talks, it is disconcerting to read media reports quoting senior Sri Lankan leaders, stating that the Sri Lankan Navy would be directed to apprehend Indian fishermen fishing in their traditional fishing waters of the Palk Bay."
“A firm, clear, unequivocal and unambiguous message should be sent out by India to the Sri Lankan side to ensure that these trends are reversed and the livelihood of the poor and innocent fishermen from Tamil Nadu who fish in their traditional waters are protected."
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