KATCHATIVU-Island of Discord

Island of Discord THE fishermen of Rameswaram coast, numbering about 12,000, now go out for fishing into the Palk Straits only reluctantly. They fear fatal assaults from the Sri Lankan Naval Patrol Boats (SNP) well within the Indian territorial waters. Following the ethnic violence against the Tamils in Sri Lanka in 1983, the Sri Lankan Naval Vessels are intruding into the Indian territorial waters and consistently harassing the Indian fishermen. The reason offered by the Sri Lankan government is that Tamil militants are crossing over to Sri Lanka from India via Palk Straits.