Colombo: Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai on Thursday met Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and raised the issue of frequent attacks on fishermen from Tamil Nadu during his talks with authorities here underlining that there was no room for violence.

Ending his three-day visit to the Island, Mathai said that he had taken up the issue of fishermen with the Lankan government.

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He was told that Lankan navy were not involved in the attacks and that the navy was under strict instructions not to attack Indian fishermen. In Jaffna where he travelled yesterday, local officials made a presentation on how local fishermen were suffering due to alleged poaching by Indian fishermen in their waters. Mathai told them that since the issue was one of livelihood there was no room for violence.

Representatives of the fishermen of the two sides should meet for talks to thrash out the issues, he said. The Foreign Secretary said that he suggested deep sea fishing as means to prevent clashes between the fishermen of the two countries.

Mathai had called on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, in Chennai, prior to his visit here. Jayalalithaa had conveyed to Mathai her serious concern over increasing attacks, 16 such incidents since May, on Tamil Nadu fishermen allegedly by the Sri Lankan navy.

Meanwhile, Mathai said that President Rajapaksa told him that parallel to his talks with Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on the devolution for Tamil regions, the parliamentary select committee process would be persisted with.

PTI