DMK embarks on day-long fast on fishermen's issue

Chennai, Jul 19 (UNI) The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu today embarked on a day-long fast condemning the killing of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy and to seek the Centre's intervention to bring an immediate halt to such atrocities.

Party President and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi inaugurated the fast at 0800 hours in Chennai city where the agitation was led by senior DMK leader and Electricity Minister Arcot N Veerasamy.

Scores of DMK functionaries and party workers participated in the fast organised on a specially erected dais in front of the Chepauk Guest House.

The hunger strike was being observed following a decision to taken at the DMK's high level action committee meeting held here on July 17.

A resolution adopted at the meeting wanted the Centre to initiate immediate action to put an end to the killings and Human Rights violatiions on Tamil fishermen in the high seas by the Lankan Navy.

The DMK meeting also demanded that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh should take up the issue with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse during the forthcoming SAARC Summit in Colombo and ensure that the recurring attacks were stopped.

Elsewhere in the state, the fast was led by ministers M K Stalin at Rameswaram, where fishermen were subjected to attacks very freqeuntly, Mr Duraimurugan (Kanniyakumari), K P P Samy and Union Minister T R Baalu (Tiruvottriyur), Union Ministers A Raja and K Venkatapathy (Cuddalore), Mrs Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan, Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi and state minister K N Nehru (Nagapattinam) and state minister K Ponmudy at Villuppuram.

In the union Territory of Puducherry former Chief Minister and Party convener R V Janakiraman led the fast.

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