Vaiko leads demo against changes in Sri Lankan maritime law

Rameswaram: A day after meeting the Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi in New Delhi, the MDMK leader, Mr Vaiko on Friday led a large demonstration by his party cadres and volunteers here in taking up the cause of Tamil Nadu fishermen suffering from indiscriminate acts of highhandedness by the Sri Lankan Navy for long.

Raising slogans condemning the attitude of the Island-Navy when there was no problem between the fishermen here and Tamil fishermen of Northern Sri Lanka, the MDMK leader was joined in by scores of his party functionaries including the party's deputy general secretary, Durai Balakrishnan, propaganda secretary Azhagu Sundaram and a host of fishermen associations' leaders including N.J. Bose and N. Devadoss.

Addressing the protestors after their demonstration, Mr Vaiko, recalling his meeting with the Prime Minister in New Delhi on Thursday to flag issues of concern to the Tamil Nadu fishermen, who face constant harassment at the hands of the Sri Lankan Navy while fishing in the Palk Straits and Gulf of Mannar areas and the damage they inflict to the nets and boats of Tamil Nadu fishermen, demanded that the Central government take steps to stop Sri Lanka from amending its maritime Law.

Stating that the new changes contemplated by Sri Lanka involved imposing tough penalties ranging from Rs. 7 lakh to Rs.17 Crore for fishermen whose boats might be seized for allegedly transgressing the international maritime boundary line, Mr Vaiko alleged that the Sri Lankan Navy continued to "attack" Tamil Nadu fishermen in mid-sea, tear up their nets and damage boats, causing huge losses to them and their livelihood.