Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday spoke to Union Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar over phone, reiterating the Tamil Nadu government’s proposal to lend a helping hand to Tamils in Sri Lanka, in the light of the present scenario in the neighbouring island nation.
During the conversation, Mr. Stalin said the Tamil Nadu government was prepared to supply essential commodities such as rice, cereals and life-saving drugs by ship from Thoothukudi to benefit Tamils in eastern and northern provinces of Sri Lanka, and in Colombo and Jaffna and hill-country Tamils, an official release said.
The Chief Minister also requested for distribution of supplies through Indian diplomatic missions in Colombo and Jaffna. Mr. Stalin also recalled his meeting with the Prime Minister on March 31 over these issues and expressed concerns over repeated incidents of assault on Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu by Sri Lankan Navy.
He also reiterated the need to secure the release of boats of Tamil Nadu fishermen from the Sri Lankan custody, the release said and added that the Union Minister had assured the Chief Minister that action would be taken on the concerns raised by him.
