By The Northern Fishermen’s Alliance, representing northern fishermen, is pressuring the government to seriously address the issue of Indian fishermen entering Sri Lanka’s waters and engaging in illegal bottom trawling when Indian Foreign Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visits Colombo next week.
The fishermen say they are disappointed that successive governments have failed to address the issue meaningfully. Political observers point out that the government is in a helpless situation given the ‘superpower’ status of India.
Tamil Nadu has many Lok Sabha seats, and its electorate plays a crucial role in national politics and the northern fishing issue. Foreign Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will certainly look after the interests of Tamil Nadu politicians who have been promoting their fishermen entering the northern waters of Sri Lanka.
