Raise Katchatheevu with Lankan PM: Stalin to Modi

Terming the three-day official visit of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya as a valuable opportunity to resolve longstanding issues, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Thursday said India should utilise this occasion to raise retrieval of Katchatheevu and the persistent challenges faced by Indian fishermen in the traditional fishing waters of the Palk Bay.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

Making her first official visit after assuming office, Amarasuriya, who had her graduation in New Delhi's Hindu College, is on a three-day state visit to India from 16 to 18 October.

In a letter to PM Modi, the chief minister said: "I request you to use this opportunity to initiate dialogues with the visiting prime minister of Sri Lanka for the retrieval of Katchatheevu island and also for the restoration of the traditional fishing rights of our fishermen in Palk Bay. This is therefore of utmost importance to resolve the longstanding and distressing issues faced by the fishing community."