Fishermen`s arrests: Jayalalithaa blames `elements` in Sri Lanka Navy

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has said some "elements" in the Sri Lanka Navy are out to "spoil" the conducive environment created between the fishing communities of two nations.

Referring to the detention of 38 Indian fishermen on Jan 29 by the Sri Lanka Navy while fishing in the Palk Strait, she said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh: "It appears to me that this incident is an attempt by elements in the Sri Lanka Navy to deliberately spoil the conducive atmosphere created by the recent talks. "Such arrests and apprehension also directly impact the livelihood of the Tamil Nadu fishermen living in the Palk Bay Districts." Jayalalithaa wrote to the prime minister Thursday and her letter was released to the media here Friday. "In order to preserve the conducive atmosphere and to enable a pragmatic and workable solution...for the day-to-day fishing activities of the fishermen to continue, I request you to decisively impress upon the Government of Sri Lanka to advise its navy to abstain from such acts of illegal abduction of innocent Indian fishermen," she said. On Jan 27, representatives of the fishing communities` of the two nations met here to arrive at a consensus on the fishing rights in the Palk Strait and also putting an end to the attacks on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lanka Navy.