Chennai:
Thirty Indian fishermen and seven boats have been allegedly captured by the Sri Lankan navy. The fishermen are reportedly from Rameswaram town in southern Tamil Nadu. The Lankan navy also allegedly damaged few boats and cut fishing nets.
The incident comes at a time when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is facing a growing chorus within his Congress party to miss a Commonwealth summit in Colombo over Sri Lanka's alleged war crimes against Lankan Tamils. Dr Singh's office though has advised him to attend the event.
Sources in the government have told NDTV that senior bureaucrats in the PM's office and the Foreign Ministry feel it is important to continue engaging with Sri Lanka's government so that India can push for the Tamil cause.
The Prime Minister said recently, "We will consider the sentiments of the Tamil people."