Chennai, 12 September

P.Nedumaran, Tamil National Leader arrested in Nagapattinam, southern coastal town in Tamil Nadu India today when he proceeded to cross to Jaffna by in country boats with his consignments of food and medicine to help the suffering Tamil brotherens of Jaffna.he was arrested along with his 500 volunteers.

According to agency news reports, he was arrested along with his 500 volunteers.

Nedumaran, addressing the volunteers, said they tried their best to send the items including medicine and food to the suffering Tamils legally through the Red Cross Society but their efforts became futile as permission was denied.

The TNM leader also said he had no other option but to observe a fast-unto-death if no help was forthcoming for the Tamils.

Meanwhile, another batch of around 150 TNM volunteers, who were supposed to set sail from Rameswaram in a boat, began an indefinite fast there as the police were neither arresting them nor allowing them to go to Sri Lanka.

The TNM activists had collected medicines and food to supply to Sri Lankan Tamils during their proposed trip to the island nation in violation of rules from Nagapattinam and Rameswaram.
Armed police personnel had been deployed in the coastal areas as Nedumaran and his supporters arrived at Nagapattinam on Tuesday.

- Asian Tribune -