India is likely to take up the issue of attacks on its fishermen from Tamil Nadu allegedly by the Sri Lankan navy during visiting Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai's crucial talks with the top leadership in Colombo.
Apart from calling on President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Mathai, who arrived in Colombo Saturday night on a three day visit, will review developmental projects being undertaken in various parts of this country with Indian government's assistance.
Mathai will also meet Sri Lankan opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and leaders of the main Tamil party TNA during his stay in Colombo.
He will visit Sri Lanka's north to inspect developmental projects funded by the Indian government.
Over 15 fishermen from Tamil Nadu were injured after Sri Lankan Navy personnel allegedly assaulted them early Sunday, police said.
The fishermen were intercepted by the Lankan Navy, who opened fire in air and attacked them with sticks, forcing them to flee from the fishing site in Indian waters near Katchatheevu, they said.
The Naval personnel also snapped more than 20 fishing nets of the fishermen, police said.
The latest incident comes a day after Chief Minister Jayalalithaa asked the Centre to view the attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy as an act of aggression against India
Ahead of Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai's three-day visit to Colombo
Jayalalithaa had told Mathai that assaults on Indian citizens should be viewed as "an act of provocation and aggression against India
Noting that 16 such incidents had taken place since this May, she had said the attacks should be viewed as a national issue and not an isolated problem of Tamil Nadu, according to a state government release.
Mathai's trip in Colombo is the first high-ranking Indian official's visit to Sri Lanka since his predecessor Nirupama Rao's tour to this country in August to make farewell calls on the Sri Lankan leaders, including President Rajapaksa.
India has undertaken several developmental projects in Sri Lanka's war-ravaged regions. It has pledged to build 50,000 homes on which work is already in progress.
The other Indian assistance includes railway line uplift, development work around the northern Kankesanturai harbour, infrastructure development and educational and cultural projects worth billions of Sri Lankan rupees.
Officials in Colombo believe that Mathai, who called on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa prior to his Colombo visit, would take up the issue of attacks on Indian fishermen.
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