Tamil Nadu police arrests Nedumaran for trying to sail food to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 September 2007, 16:42 GMT]
Attempt made by Pazha. Nedumaran, the leader of Tamils Nationalist Movement (TNM), and around 500 of his party members to take essential food items to Jaffna peninsula residents by sea from Nakapaddinam was stopped Wednesday when Tamil Nadu police arrested Nedumaran with his followers, sources in Naakapaddinam said. Nedumaran had earlier announced that he will attempt to take food items across the seas as the Government of India had refused give him permission to send the items donated by people of Tamil Nadu through the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) in India.



All political parties in Tamil Nadu had expressed their full support to Pazha. Nedumaran's mission, sources in Naakapaddinam said.

Pazha. Nedumaran and his followers are being detained in prison and it is not known when they will be released.

Indian Naval Force and Air Force had increased their patrol activities in and around Nakapaddinam seas in anticipation of attempts to take goods across to Jaffna peninsula. Indian Air Force helicopters had been flying low over Nakapaddinam and other coastal areas in Tamil Nadu the last three days.

Pazha. Nedumaran joined by his supporters had gone around Tamil Nadu collecting the essential commodities donated by people of Tamil Nadu to be shipped to Jaffna residents.

The donated goods are worth over a hundred thousand million Indian rupees, according to sources close to Nedumaran.

The arrested leader had accused the Indian government for not taking any constructive action to relieve the suffering of Jaffna peninsula people affected by continuing acute shortage of essential food items.





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