KARUNANIDHI BLOWS HOT AND COLD ABOUT NEW DELHI’S STATEMENT THAT IT WAS CONSIDERING JOINT PATROLS OF SEA WITH SRI LANKA

By Walter Jayawardhana

Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu continues to blow hot and cold about the Indian Central government’s statement that it was considering to have joint patrols of the sea between the two countries by the Navies of India and Sri Lanka.
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Muthuvel Karunanidhi told reporters in Chennai on Wednesday, "Empirically speaking, it is felt that since it is going to be joint patrolling [with the Sri Lankan Navy], there will be more disadvantages than the advantages we perceive."
But he did go into details as to what are the advantages and the disadvantages of the joint patrols as he claimed.
The question of joint patrols, proposed long ago by President Mahinda Rajapaksa arose , after a Tamil Nadu fisherman had been shot dead , allegedly by the sea-going Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) known as Sea Tigers while the fisherman was out fishing and M. Karunanidhi led DMK held a protest rally in Chennai and accused the Sri Lanka Navy of committing the crime.
Political opponents of the DMK have charged that this was a conspiratorial act of the LTTE to change the mood in Tamil Nadu where LTTE supporters are being arrested by the law enforcing authorities for smuggling out bomb manufacturing material to Sri Lanka.
India’s Janatha Party leader Subramanyan Swami has charged Karunanidhi for secretly supporting the LTTE against the wishes of India’s New Delhi government.
A day before Karunanidhi’s statement , on Tuesday, Indian Defense Minister A.K. Anthony told the Indian parliament that his government was considering a Sri Lankan proposal for a joint patrol of strategic Palk straits in the wake of increasing attacks on Indian fishermen
Earlier Anthony told the parliament terrorists could easily infiltrate in to the Indian territory using the sea between the two countries easily. Recent Indian police investigations show that there is heavy Sea Tiger traffic in the waters between the two countries not only gun running but also drug running.
Anthony replying to an intervention by a DMK member in the Lok Sabha, the Indian parliament said, "I will like to assure the House that the Government of India will do everything possible to protect legitimate rights of the fishermen."
Anthony said, the Sri Lankan Defense Secretary had visited the Indian High Commission to explain matters and the Indian Navy Chief had spoken to his Sri lankan counterpart on the matter.
"We are in constant touch with Sri Lankan authorities," the Defense Minister said. The Sri Lankan authorities, he said, had held the LTTE responsible for the attacks.
Anthony emphasized that the Sri Lankan government has also expressed its concern about the matter and wanted to maintain a very good relation with New Delhi. Anthony said that was the reason Sri Lanka government has expressed its desire to have joint patrol of the sea , the Minister said. He said the proposal was receiving the consideration of the Indian government.
The Minister of Defense said the Indian government would do everything humanly possible to protect the legitimate rights of the Indian fishermen.