Fishermen in detention:

Release expected before Thai Pongal

by P.Krishnaswamy

Consequent to a telephone conversation the Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid had with External Affairs Minister G.L.Peiris, it is anticipated that the fishermen of the two countries, now in detention for mutually violating the territorial waters of the other country, would be released before the Thai Pongal Hindu festival on Tuesday.

Deputy Minister of External Affairs Neomal Perera told the Sunday Observer that consequent to the request made by Minister Khurshid over the phone to Minister Peiris, who is on an official visit to Israel, moves were initiated to have the fishermen in detention on both sides released immediately.

The 300 Indian fishermen in detention in Sri Lanka for entering the country's territorial waters and the 215 Sri Lankan fishermen in India for the same reason would be released, the Deputy Minister said. Indian Union Minister T.R. Balu, representing the Tamil Nadu opposition party DMK, had requested Minister Khurshid, as a matter of urgency, to secure the release of the Indian fishermen before the Hindu festival, the Deputy Minister said.

The meeting between representatives of the fishing communities of the two countries, with the presence of senior government officials of both countries, is scheduled for the 20th, to work out mutually beneficial and reciprocal arrangements to sort out the 'cross-border' issue, the Deputy Minister said.