Sir — This refers to the editorial, “legal and humanitarian” (March 26). India should be grateful to Sri lankan President Maithripala Sirisena for his goodwill gesture of releasing our 54 fishermen, who had been detained after they crossed over into lankan waters. India has had strong cultural and religious links with Sri lanka. The rise of the liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the civil war created an unfavourable situation which harmed relations between the two countries. India bore the heavy burden of refugees during the civil war. After the annihilation of the lTTE, Colombo unfortunately did not eschew aggressive retaliation. Many innocent lankan Tamils were killed in the process.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, during his recent visit to Sri lanka, rightly emphasised on the need for the Government and the Tamil minorities to work together and regain each other’s trust for the larger good of the country. As for the fishermen’s issue, it must be resolved once and for all.