Tamil parties plan collective engagement with Tamil Nadu Govt.
COLOMBO – Representatives of Tamil-speaking political parties in Sri Lanka have collectively decided to hold a meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay in the near future to discuss issues of mutual interest.
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader and Kandy District MP Rauff Hakeem informed the media of the decision during a visit to Chennai, where he met Tamil Nadu government officials and observed proceedings of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
He said the proposed meeting would involve all Tamil-speaking political parties represented in the Sri Lankan Parliament rather than individual party delegations.
“We have agreed on a common date for all Tamil-speaking parties in Sri Lanka to meet Chief Minister Vijay together. This is not an issue that can be addressed separately by individual parties. We believe collective engagement will be more meaningful and productive,” Hakeem said.
During his visit, Hakeem also met A.M. Shajahan, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils, and discussed issues affecting minority communities.
He expressed hope that relations between Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu would continue to strengthen under the new administration.
Addressing the longstanding fisheries dispute between Sri Lanka and India, Hakeem described the issue as both a humanitarian and livelihood concern that required sustained dialogue between governments and fishing communities on both sides of the Palk Strait.
“We have discussed this issue many times in Parliament. It is not only a humanitarian issue but also a matter of livelihoods. Therefore, it must be resolved through cooperation between Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen,” he said, noting that despite several rounds of discussions involving the Sri Lankan and Indian governments, as well as representatives of fishing communities, a lasting solution had yet to be found.
He stressed the need for greater emphasis on alternative fishing methods, including deep-sea fishing, and called for support mechanisms to help fishermen transition away from practices that have contributed to tensions and resource depletion.
The SLMC leader also urged both governments to intensify diplomatic engagement on the issue and expand dialogue between fishing communities.
Commenting on calls from some groups in India for the return of the disputed islet of Kachchatheevu to India, Hakeem said the matter had been settled under bilateral agreements and international law.
“Sri Lanka’s sovereignty over Kachchatheevu was determined through agreements reached between the two countries in the 1970s. Any attempt to revisit that arrangement would involve international legal processes and cannot be decided unilaterally by either country,” he said.
Hakeem added that Indian pilgrims continue to enjoy access to the historic St. Anthony’s Shrine on Kachchatheevu and that the primary dispute relates to fishing activities in waters around the maritime boundary rather than access to the island itself.
He reiterated that the fisheries issue should be addressed through peaceful negotiations and practical cooperation rather than through territorial disputes.
-ENCL
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.