நாடும் நடப்பும்: ஆண்டபரம்பரையும் `உள்ளூராட்சி` அதிகாரமும்

 

நாடும் நடப்பும்

கஜேந்திரகுமார் புனிதக் கூட்டு சுமந்திரன் சாடல்:

இவ்வளவு காலமும் தாங்கள் மட்டுமே புனிதமானவர்கள் என்று கூறிவந்தவர்கள் கூட்டணி அமைத்துள்ளார்கள்; சுமந்திரன் சாடல்

உள்ளூராட்சி சபைகளில் தனித்து ஆட்சி அமைக்க முயற்சிக்கிறோம். ஆனால் இந்த தேர்தல் முறைமையிலே எந்த கட்சியாக இருந்தாலும் தனித்து ஆட்சியமைப்பது கடினமான விடயம் என்பது எல்லோருக்கும் தெரிந்த விடயம். ஆனாலும் நாங்கள் முயற்சி செய்கிறோம் என இலங்கை தமிழ் அரசுக் கட்சியின் பொதுச் செயலாளர் எம்.ஏ.சுமந்திரன் தெரிவித்தார்.

இலங்கை தமிழ் அரசுக் கட்சியின் உள்ளூராட்சி சபைகளுக்கான வேட்புமனுக்களை தாக்கல் செய்த பின்னர் யாழில் ஊடகங்களுக்கு கருத்து தெரிவிக்கும் போதே இதனை தெரிவித்தார். மேலும் அவர் தெரிவிக்கையில்,

இவ்வளவு காலமும் தாங்கள் மட்டுமே புனிதமானவர்கள் என்று தேர்தலில் போட்டி போட்டுக் கொண்டிருந்தவர்கள் தங்கள் நிலைமையை உணர்ந்து ஒரு சிலரோடு சேர்ந்து தேர்தலில் போட்டியிடுகின்றனர்.

இப்படியாகத்தான் பாராளுமன்ற தேர்தலுக்கும் ஒன்பது கட்சி கூட்டு பத்து கட்சிக் கூட்டென பல செய்திகள் கூட்டுகள் வந்தன. தப்பி தவறி ஒருவர் மட்டும் பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினராக வந்தார். எந்தவித தாக்கத்தையும் இந்த கூட்டு செலுத்தாது.

இலங்கை தமிழ் அரசுக் கட்சியின் சார்பில் ஐந்து உள்ளூராட்சி சபைகளுக்கான வேட்புமனுக்களை தாக்கல் செய்திருக்கிறோம். மிகுதி 12 சபைகளுக்கான வேட்புமனுக்களை நாளை காலை சமர்ப்பிப்போம்.

நிறைந்த போட்டியின் மத்தியிலே வேட்பாளர்களை தெரிவு செய்ய வேண்டியதாக இருக்கிறது. அதனால் சற்று நேரம் தாமதித்து தான் இறுதி செய்து கொண்டிருக்கிறோம்.

கட்சியினுடைய தீர்மானத்தின் படி எந்த ஒரு சபைக்கும் முதல்வரோ தவிசாளரோ அறிவிக்கப்படப் போவதில்லை. தேர்தலுக்கு பிறகு தான் அது சம்பந்தமாக கட்சி முடிவு எடுக்கும்.

உள்ளூராட்சி சபைகளில் தனித்து ஆட்சி அமைக்க முயற்சிக்கிறோம். ஆனால் எல்லாருக்கும் தெரிந்த விடயம். இந்த தேர்தல் முறைமையிலே எந்த கட்சியாக இருந்தாலும் தனித்து ஆட்சியமைப்பது கடினமான விடயம். ஆனாலும் நாங்கள் முயற்சி செய்கிறோம். அப்படியாக அல்லது பெரும்பான்மை கிடைக்காத இடங்களில் அந்தந்த சபைகளையும் சபைகளில் வேறு யாருக்கு பிரதிநிதித்துவம் கிடைத்திருக்கிறது என்பதை பொறுத்து நாங்கள் தீர்மானிப்போம் என்றார்.

தமிழர் விடுதலைக் கூட்டணி இம்முறை தேர்தலில் போட்டியிடாது;ஆனந்த சங்கரி அறிவிப்பு

 தமிழர் விடுதலைக் கூட்டணி இம்முறை உள்ளூராட்சி சபைத் தேர்தலில் போட்டியிடாது என அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

தேர்தல் ஆணையாளர் நாயகத்துக்கு தமிழர் விடுதலைக் கூட்டணியின் செயலாளர் நாயகம் வீ.ஆனந்தசங்கரி அனுப்பி வைத்த கடிதத்தில் இவ்விடயம் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

அக்கடிதத்தில், இம்முறை உள்ளூராட்சி சபைத் தேர்தலை தமிழர் விடுதலைக் கூட்டணி தவிர்க்க முடியாத காரணத்தினால் நியமனப் பத்திரங்களை தாக்கல் செய்ய முடியவில்லை என தெரிவிக்கிறோம் என்றுள்ளது.

தமிழர் விடுதலைக் கூட்டணியின் நிர்வாகம் தொடர்பான வழக்கு-  தவிர்க்க முடியாத காரணம்- நீதிமன்றத்தில் நிலுவையில் உள்ளமை குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

உள்ளூராட்சி மன்றங்களின் அதிகாரங்கள் தமிழ் மக்களின் கையில் இருக்க வேண்டும்; சிவசக்தி ஆனந்தன் கோரிக்கை

 உள்ளூராட்சி மன்றங்களின் அதிகாரங்கள் தமிழ் மக்களின் கையில் இருக்க வேண்டும் என ஜனநாயக தமிழ் தேசியக் கூட்டணியைசச் சேர்ந்த முன்னாள் நாடாளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர் சிவசக்தி ஆனந்தன் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

வவுனியா மாவட்ட செயலகத்தில் வேட்பு மனுவை இன்று தாக்கல் செய்த பின் ஊடகங்களுக்கு கருத்து தெரிவித்த போதே அவர் இவ்வாறு தெரிவித்தார். அவர் மேலும் தெரிவிக்கையில்,

உள்ளூராட்சி தேர்தலைப் பொறுத்த வரை வடக்கு – கிழக்கின் அனைத்து மாவட்டங்களிலும் ஜனநாய தமிழ் தேசியக் கூட்டணி சங்கு சின்னத்தில் போட்டியிடுகின்றது. உள்ளூராட்சி மன்றங்களின் அதிகாரங்கள் தமிழ் மக்களின் கையில் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்பது தான் எங்களது வேண்டுகோளாக இருக்கிறது.

ஜனநாயக தமிழ் தேசியக் கூட்டணி பெரும்பாலன சபைகளில் அதிக ஆசனங்களைப் பெற்று வெற்றி பெறும் என்ற நம்பிக்கை இருக்கிறது.

உள்ளூராட்சி சபை அதிகாரம் என்பது வடக்கு – கிழக்கில் தமிழ் மக்கள் தங்களை தாங்கள் ஆளக் கூடிய வகையில் வாக்களிக்க வேண்டும்

உள்ளூராட்சி  மன்றங்களின் அதிகாரங்கள 300, 400 கிலோ மீற்றரில் இருக்கும் தேசிய சக்திகளிடம் கையளிக்காமல் உங்களுடன் இருக்கும் தமிழ் மக்களின் பிரதிநிதிகளிடம் கையளிக்க வேண்டும்.

அதன் மூலமே வடக்கு – கிழக்கின் இருப்பை தக்க வைக்க முடியும் எனத் தெரிவித்தார்.

தேர்தலில் கஜேந்திரகுமார் அணியின் கூட்டணித் திட்டம் 

 தமிழ்த் தேசிய கட்சிகளை ஒன்றிணைத்து, தமிழ்த் தேசிய மக்கள் முன்னணியானது புதிய கூட்டணியாக அகில இலங்கை தமிழ் காங்கிரஸ் கட்சியின் சைக்கிள் சின்னத்தில் வடக்கு கிழக்கு முழுவதும் போட்டியிடவுள்ளதாக அறிவித்துள்ளனர். அந்தவகையில் அகில இலங்கை தமிழ் காங்கிரஸ் யாழ்ப்பாணத்திலுள்ள உள்ளூராட்சி மன்றங்களில் போட்டியிடுவதற்கான வேட்பு மனுக்களை யாழ் மாவட்ட தேர்தல் திணைக்களத்தில் இன்று தாக்கல் செய்துள்ளது.

தமிழ் தேசிய மக்கள் முன்னணியின் தலைவரும் பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினருமான கஜேந்திரகுமார் பொன்னம்பலம் தலைமையில் இந்த வேட்பு மனுக்கள் இன்று மாலை தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.

வேட்பு மனுக்களை தாக்கல் செய்தததைத் தொடர்ந்து பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர் கஜேந்திரகுமார் பொன்னம்பலம்  மற்றும் முன்னாள் பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர் எம்.கே சிவாஜிலிங்கம் ஆகியோர்  ஊடகங்களுக்கு கருத்துத் தெரிவிக்கும் போதே மேற்கண்டவாறு தெரிவித்தனர்🔺

Trump to sign order aimed at closing Education Department

The administration has already cut the agency’s workforce by nearly half. Totally shutting down the agency would require congressional action.

March 19, 2025 By Laura Meckler

Linda McMahon, seen in 2018, now heads the U.S. Education Department.
(Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

President Donald Trump is set to sign a much-anticipated executive order Thursday aimed at closing the Education Department, the White House said, though administration officials have acknowledged that shuttering the agency would require congressional approval.

Get concise answers to your questions. Try Ask The Post AI.

A White House fact sheet to be released Thursday says the executive order will direct Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps” to facilitate the closure of the department “and return education authority to the States.”

The order has been expected for weeks. Trump campaigned on a promise to close the department and slash its budget. Already, the agency has reduced its workforce by nearly half, mostly through layoffs, and worked to cancel dozens of grants and contracts.

During her Senate confirmation hearing, McMahon agreed with Democrats that only Congress, which created the department in 1979, can close the agency. But McMahon suggested moving some functions to other government agencies, a decision experts say would also require congressional approval. Closing the agency or transferring operations that are assigned to it by law would require 60 yes votes in the Senate, something considered highly unlikely given Republicans hold 53 seats.

Any effort to close the department or move its functions without congressional approval is expected to face legal challenges.

Trump has repeatedly cast the effort to reduce the federal footprint as returning education to the states. In fact, education has long been the responsibility of state and local governments, which provide about 90 percent of the funding and set most of the rules. The department does not dictate curriculum or have a hand in most school policies.

White House spokesman Harrison Fields said in a statement that the order “will empower parents, states and communities to take control and improve outcomes for all students.” The order is expected to reference low test scores as justification for reducing the federal role. But administration officials have not explained how reducing the federal role in education will improve outcomes.

The Education Department administers federal grant programs, including the $18.4 billion Title I program that provides supplemental funding to high-poverty K-12 schools, as well as the $15.5 billion IDEA program that helps cover the cost of education for students with disabilities. And the department oversees the $1.6 trillion federal student loan program and sets rules for what colleges must do to participate.

A senior administration official said Wednesday that these programs, which make up the bulk of the Education Department’s budget and work, “will NOT be touched.” It’s not clear what that means or how the White House expects significant change without touching those programs. McMahon has said she does not support cutting federal spending on Title I or IDEA.

The fact sheet also accuses the Biden administration of using the Education Department to press an ideological agenda, such as promoting racial equity programs and barring schools from discrimination based on gender identity. But the Trump administration has done that in the opposite direction, with its own limits on how schools can address issues of race and gender.

The executive order also will repeat the administration’s directive that no program that advances diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) or “gender ideology” receive Education Department funding.

USA Today first reported that the president plans to sign the order Thursday.

National Education Association President Becky Pringle said Trump’s order would gut programs that impact all students. “If successful, Trump’s continued actions will hurt all students by sending class sizes soaring, cutting job training programs, making higher education more expensive and out of reach for middle class families, taking away special education services for students with disabilities, and gutting student civil rights protections,” she said.

Maegan Vazquez, Natalie Allison and Cat Zakrzewski contributed to this report.

The Popular Front: Stop The occupation war of extermination.

The Popular Front: The occupation planned in advance to resume massacres and the war of extermination... and everyone must take action to stop it.

The occupation committed its crimes and massacres against our people in the Gaza Strip, targeting homes and innocent civilians, with prior planning, and with American partnership and support, as part of the comprehensive war of extermination it is waging against our people.

These brutal crimes are a stain on the history of humanity, as the occupation carried out its treacherous raids and brutal crimes despite the existence of a ceasefire agreement, without caring about any consequences, due to the ongoing international complicity in its ongoing war crimes against our people.

All international parties must act immediately to stop the war of extermination resumed by the government of war criminals.

The Arab peoples and the free people of the world must take urgent action immediately in all fields to condemn these brutal crimes, and to besiege the embassies of the occupation and its American partner.

We demand that the Arab League implement the decisions of its recent summit, and take clear and decisive positions to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip and stop the war of extermination against our people.

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

Central Media Department

March 18, 2025

How the world is reacting to Israel’s wave of deadly strikes on Gaza

DEVELOPING STORY

Israel-Palestine conflict

How the world is reacting to Israel’s wave of deadly strikes on Gaza

Hamas says attacks ‘overturn’ ceasefire as families of Israeli captives accuse Netanyahu of ‘giving up on hostages’.

AJ 18 Mar 2025

Tuesday’s attack, which took place across Gaza, was its most intense since the ceasefire came into effect on January 19, with the Palestinian Health Ministry reporting at least 404 people killed and 562 wounded.

Here is how the world is reacting to the deadly attacks:

Hamas

Hamas, which governs Gaza, said it viewed Israel’s attacks as a unilateral cancellation of the ceasefire that began on January 19.

“Netanyahu and his extremist government are making a decision to overturn the ceasefire agreement, exposing prisoners in Gaza to an unknown fate,” Hamas said in a statement.

Later, Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq said in a statement that “Netanyahu’s decision to resume war” was “a decision to sacrifice the occupation’s prisoners and impose a death sentence on them”.

Israel

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the operation was open-ended and expected to expand.

“From now on, Israel will act against Hamas with increasing military force,” it said, adding that the operation was ordered after “Hamas’s repeated refusal to release our hostages, as well as its rejection of all of the proposals it has received from US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and from the mediators.”

Defence Minister Israel Katz said: “We will not stop fighting as long as the hostages are not returned home and all our war aims are not achieved.”

The United States

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said “the Trump administration and the White House” had been consulted by Israel on the attacks.

“As President Trump has made it clear, Hamas, the Houthis, Iran, all those who seek to terrorise not just Israel, but also the United States of America, will see a price to pay – all hell will break loose,” she said.

Families of Israeli captives

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families of captives held in Gaza, said in a post on X that the Israeli government’s decision to attack showed that it had chosen “to give up on the hostages”.

“We are shocked, angry, and terrified by the deliberate dismantling of the process to return our loved ones from the terrible captivity of Hamas,” the group said. It asked the government why it “backed out of the ceasefire agreement” with Hamas.

Yemen’s Houthi group

Yemen’s Houthi rebels promised an escalation in support of Palestinians against a backdrop of mounting hostilities with the US.

“We condemn the Zionist enemy’s resumption of aggression against the Gaza Strip,” the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council said in a statement. “The Palestinian people will not be left alone in this battle, and Yemen will continue its support and assistance, and escalate confrontation steps.”

Palestinian Islamic Jihad

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) armed group accused Israel of “deliberately sabotaging all efforts to reach a ceasefire”.

China

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing was “highly concerned” about the situation, calling for parties to “avoid any actions that could lead to an escalation of the situation, and prevent a larger-scale humanitarian disaster”.

Russia

The Kremlin warned of a “spiral of escalation” in the wake of Israel’s strikes.

“Especially concerning of course are the reports of major casualties among the civilian population,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “We are monitoring the situation very closely and, of course, we are waiting for it to return to a peaceful course.”

Netherlands

Foreign Minister Casper Veldkamp said on X that “all hostilities must end permanently”.

“The Netherlands calls on all parties to respect the terms of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal. All civilians must be protected, “ he said. “We urge all parties to implement it in full: the remaining hostages must be released, humanitarian aid must reach those in need.”

Norway

Pime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said the Israeli strikes were “a great tragedy” for the people of Gaza. “They are almost without protection. Many of them live in tents and the ruins of what has been destroyed,” he said.

Switzerland

“Switzerland calls for an immediate return to the ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid,” the foreign ministry wrote on X.

United Nations

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, voiced his horror over the intense Israeli strikes.

“This will add tragedy onto tragedy,” he said in a statement. Israel’s resorting to yet more military force would “only heap further misery upon a Palestinian population already suffering catastrophic conditions”.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

CAIR, a Washington DC-based Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation, said in a statement that it condemned the Netanyahu government “for resuming its horrific and genocidal attacks on the men, women and children of Gaza, killing hundreds of civilians in a matter of hours”.

“Netanyahu would clearly rather massacre Palestinian children in refugee camps than risk the disintegration of his cabinet by exchanging all those held by both sides and permanently ending the genocidal war, as required by the ceasefire agreement that President Trump helped broker and that he must salvage,” the organisation said.

Egypt

Egypt, which is acting as a mediator alongside Qatar and the US, called Israel’s air strikes a “flagrant violation” of the deal.

The strikes constitute a “dangerous escalation which threatens to have bring serious consequences for the stability of the region”, said the foreign ministry.

Turkey

Turkey said the attacks amounted to a “new phase in its policy of genocide” against Palestinians.

In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry added it was unacceptable for Israel to cause a “new cycle of violence” in the region, adding the Israeli government’s “hostile approach” threatened the future of the Middle East.

Australia

“There’s already been enormous suffering there [in Gaza], which is why we’re calling upon all parties to respect the ceasefire and hostage deal that was put in place,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

“We’ll continue to make representations. Australia will continue to stand up for peace and security in the region.”

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

Israel, US overturn the ceasefire agreement with Hamas

More than 300 killed as Israel breaking ceasefire with Hamas  

Israel’s military launched a large-scale bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, breaking the fragile ceasefire with Hamas that has been in place since late January. At least 326 people have been killed and more than 400 others wounded, Gaza’s Health Ministry said. An Israeli official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly, said the “series of preemptive strikes” targeted Hamas leadership and infrastructure, following weeks of stagnant negotiations. “We thought it was done, and suddenly it returns again,” Ahmed, a father of three in Gaza City, said over the phone. “We don’t know where is safe or not safe. No one knows.”

“Netanyahu and his extremist government have decided to overturn the ceasefire agreement, exposing the prisoners in Gaza to an unknown fate,” Hamas said in a statement Tuesday, referring to the hostages who remain in Gaza. “We demand that the mediators hold Netanyahu and the Zionist occupation fully responsible for violating and overturning the agreement.” There has been no immediate sign of the militant group retaliating against the Israeli strikes. No sirens have sounded in Israel on Tuesday.

Israel consulted U.S. about Gaza strikes, White House press secretary says

Shira Rubin

Israel consulted the United States about the strikes in the Gaza Strip, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News’s “Hannity” show on Monday. “As President Trump has made it clear, Hamas, the Houthis, Iran, all those who seek to terrorize not just Israel, but also the United States of America, will see a price to pay. All hell will break loose,” she said.

Doctor describes desperate scenes at Gaza hospital, as officials report 326 dead

Victoria Bisset and Louisa Loveluck

Israeli strikes in Gaza have killed at least 326 Palestinians since dawn on Tuesday, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which said “a number of victims are still under the rubble, and efforts are underway to retrieve them.”

Tuesday’s attacks were the deadliest since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began in late January. The Health Ministry appealed for blood donations earlier Tuesday.

More than 48,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to figures released Monday by the Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority of the dead are women and children.

Feroze Sidhwa, an American surgeon working at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, said the hospital had been flooded with civilian casualties.

“Mostly children,” he said. “Some women, a smattering of men.”

Sidhwa said he had worked in the operating room all night, and lost count of the surgeries he completed. There had been a 2- or 3-year-old girl with shrapnel in her brain and her spleen; a 6-year-old boy whose heart had briefly stopped and whose belly was sliced through with shrapnel; and another 6-year-old, Sidhwa said. One of the most badly wounded, a 29-year-old woman, was the sister of a nurse at the hospital. As the sun rose, a crowd was growing outside the hospital morgue, he added.🔺

Source: The Washington Post

Tamil Nadu Govt.’s duplicity in illegal fishing exposed

Tamil Nadu Govt.’s duplicity in illegal fishing exposed

By Steve Creech Sunday Times 16-03-2025

The JVP/NPP government’s recent forthright support for the rights of small-scale fishermen and the defence of Sri Lankan maritime sovereignty off the northwest and northern coast (Opinion, March 9, 2025) will have come as no surprise to anyone who has followed this issue since the end of the civil conflict in 2009.

In 2013, the JVP’s Vijitha Herath was the first Sri Lankan politician to raise the issue in Parliament. The reprehensible silence on the issue by Sri Lankan Tamil politicians is in sharp contrast to the concerns expressed by Herath, foreign affairs minister in the present government. The self-same politicians supposedly represent the interests of northern Sri Lankan Tamil fishermen. Then, the collective silence of Sri Lankan Tamil politicians stemmed from their desire not to rock Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha’s boat; hence, they received political support in their quest for the rights of the Tamil people and demands for Tamil Eelam.

One of the Tamil Nadu trawlers taken into custody by the Sri Lanka Navy while it was engaging in illegal fishing in Sri Lanka's waters

A decade later, House Leader Bimal Ratnayake clearly has fewer qualms—and obviously no vested interests—when it comes to rocking Tamil Nadu’s boat on this issue.

Rathnayake’s recent statement is a timely and honest move, in keeping with the first six months of the NPP government’s tenure. Let’s call a spade a spade, shall we? The origins of this seemingly intractable issue lie in Tamil Nadu and nowhere else.

Coastal fisheries is a devolved subject under the Indian Constitution. The right and the responsibility to manage, regulate, conserve and develop coastal fisheries reside exclusively with the state government of Tamil Nadu. The central government in New Delhi can express concern, but only in extreme cases can it issue an advisory or, if there is a breakdown in constitutional machinery, invoke Article 356 of the Constitution.

The central government’s power to investigate the actions of Tamil Nadu public servants is restricted to instances where either the High Court or Supreme Court in New Delhi issues a direction or if Chief Minister M.K. Stalin himself specifically consents to an investigation of the state government’s failure to take appropriate measures to end illegal fishing by Tamil Nadu trawlers in Sri Lankan waters.

Until Chief Minister Stalin makes a call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there is little that the Indian Prime Minister can do to resolve this issue in the bilateral interests of India and Sri Lanka.

What can Tamil Nadu do to resolve this apparently unsolvable issue? A quick scan of the Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation Act, No. 8 of 1983 suggests that there are three simple legal steps that Chief Minister Stalin can take, which would collectively resolve as much as 90% of this issue overnight. Chapter 1, Section 3 (g) of the Act sets limits on the overall length (8 m – 15 m) and engine capacity (15 hp to 120 hp) of mechanised boats fishing in Tamil Nadu waters. Mechanised boats arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy have gotten noticeably bigger and, according to navy sources, considerably more powerful over the last ten years. The first step the Chief Minister can take is to cancel the licences of all mechanised boats measuring more than 15 m or having an engine with a capacity of 120 hp. Box 1 ticked, move on.

Chapter 2, Section 2(3), and the schedule attached state that mechanised fishing vessels shall leave their notified place of anchoring only after 5 am and shall report back at the notified place of anchoring not later than 9 pm. As such, mechanised fishing vessels shall remain at the notified place, anchoring till 5am the following day. The Chief Minister’s second task is to enforce time-bound restrictions on mechanised vessels under the Act, which restricts fishing to daytime hours between 5 am and 9 pm.

There can be little doubt that this temporal regulation was introduced in 1983 to prevent conflicts developing between small-scale fishermen and mechanised fishing vessels. The former fish passively at night, while the latter were prescribed to fish actively during the day. Forty years later, it is still not too late to enforce this law.

The Chief Minister’s third and final step is to instruct the Indian Coastguard to arrest any mechanised vessel that engages in fishing within three nautical miles of the shore. Chapter 2 Section 5 (2) of the Act proscribed mechanised boats from fishing within three nautical miles of the shore. The enforcement of this regulation would have little impact on the issue in Sri Lankan waters, but it would greatly assist small-scale fishermen and fishworkers to recover their livelihoods and rebuild fish stocks in Tamil Nadu.

So, three simple steps for the Chief Minister to take in the coming week—all within the provisions of existing regulations for fisheries management in Tamil Nadu—that would immediately reduce illegal fishing by Tamil Nadu trawlers in Sri Lankan waters. The Sri Lankan Navy has sufficient capacity to eliminate the issue thereafter. As the Leader of the House recently made clear, the origins of this issue reside in Tamil Nadu. The resolution of this issue is to be found there too.

(Steve Creech is a freelance fisheries consultant whose specialities include Tamil Nadu trawlers’s fishing activities)🔺

Lankan team going to US for tariff talks

Lankan team going to US for tariff talks

A Sri Lanka delegation that will travel to the United States next month plans to discuss with the US Trade Office how it can avoid reciprocal tariffs that will come into effect from April 2, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said.

He said Sri Lanka would be unable to bear such tariffs on exports when the country’s economic situation remained volatile.

Last year, the US imported from Sri Lanka goods valued at US$3 billion, with more than 70% of the products from the garment sector going to the United States, making that country one of Sri Lanka’s largest trading partners.

However, last month industry analysts said the new US tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China, and several other countries would have a beneficial impact on countries like Sri Lanka as buyers are now reviewing their global supply chains and shifting orders.

MAS Holdings’ Chief Executive Officer Suren Fernando told the Sunday Times that they were receiving inquiries from international buyers who were hoping to shift part of their orders to suppliers like Sri Lanka.

US President Donald Trump announced recently that reciprocal tariffs would take effect on April 2 and target imports from countries that levied high duties on US goods. He said he believed the tariffs would level the playing field and protect American industries.

A high-level Sri Lanka business forum will be held in the US next month with representatives of the Finance Ministry, Foreign Ministry, and delegates from the business community.

Mr. Herath said they hoped to discuss the issue of tariffs during this visit with members of the U.S. Trade Office and seek relief for the country.

He expressed hope that Sri Lanka, working within the IMF programme, would receive a tax waiver, as the country could not withstand increased tariffs.

Reciprocal tariffs refer to imposing tariffs on imported goods from a specific country in response to similar tariffs that that country has placed on goods from the imposing nation.

The idea behind reciprocal tariffs is to create a balance in trade by ensuring that both countries are subject to the same level of duties on each other’s products. These tariffs are often used to pressure a trading partner into lowering their own tariffs or to retaliate against unfair trade practices.🔺

Sunday Times 16-03-2025

Ukraine to Get €3.5B From EU to Stabilize Economy, Rebuild, Modernize

Ukraine to Get €3.5B From EU to Stabilize Economy, Rebuild, Modernize

This is the third tranche of funds from the EU’s Ukraine Facility program which is authorized to provide up to €50 for Ukraine.

by Olena Hrazhdan | Mar. 17, 2025

The European Council approved €3.5 billion ($3.8 billion) in grants and loans for Ukraine’s macro-financial stability, reconstruction, and modernization. 

The money comes via the Ukraine Facility program – the EU’s financial assistance program for Ukraine started in 2024. This is the third tranche of funds to go to Kyiv, a press release from the EU Council says. 

As of Feb. 24, 2025, €19.6 billion ($21.4 billion) under the Ukraine Facility has been disbursed, the EU Council wrote. 

What is the Ukraine Facility program? 

Ukraine Facility entered into force on March 1, 2024, and is authorized, up to 2027, to provide up to €50 billion ($54.6 billion) of financing in grants and loans to Ukraine.

It became the key EU macro-financial program to support Ukraine’s recovery after Russia invaded the country in 2022, causing a 28% drop in GDP in 2022 and half a trillion dollars of damages for Ukraine over the next decade. 

Apart from recovery, Ukraine Facility’s requirements for reforms will also assist Ukraine in its EU accession process in the next four years. 

Along with funding the state budget, Ukraine Facility makes private investments and provides technical assistance. In return, Kyiv must implement economic reforms.

The third review to receive the tranche ended successfully, the EU Council wrote in the press release. However, had Kyiv failed to carry out reforms, it could have lost out on funds received a smaller tranche or faced audits.

On Monday, the Lithuanian prosecutor general’s office attributed the arson attack in Vilnius in May 2024 to Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU.

“The Council concluded today that Ukraine had satisfied the necessary conditions laid down in the Ukraine Plan … Ukraine successfully demonstrated that it had implemented 13 different steps,” the EU Council’s press release wrote. 

The EU has played a critical role as a financial partner alongside the US since mid-2022, and most EU leaders have continuously supported Ukraine since then. 

While American aid was disbursed rapidly to cover emergency needs – often with minimal bureaucratic hurdles – the EU took a more measured approach.

The EU’s macro-financial assistance required coordination among member states, making the process slower, but it was strategically designed for mid-term economic stabilization rather than short-term relief.

Olena Hrazhdan is Kyiv Post's Business Reporter. She previously wrote for leading Ukraine's business media covering banking, private and public finance, macroeconomics, retail, and legal issues, She also became a Fellow of the International Monetary Fund’s Journalism Fellowship. She can be found on "X" @OlenaHrazhdan.🔺

Trump-Putin call set for Tuesday over ceasefire talks, Kremlin confirms

 

President Donald Trump announced the call Sunday and said there would be concessions over land and power plants.

March 17, 2025  By Mary Ilyushina and Dan Lamothe

President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin are set to speak in a phone call Tuesday to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin confirmed Monday, as the United States seeks Moscow’s support for a 30-day ceasefire proposal.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that the call will be mainly about settling the conflict in Ukraine but is also “an important step that sets the tone for the movement to revive relations between the states.” Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

Trump announced the planned call Sunday, stating there was “a very good chance” of reaching a deal. “We are doing pretty well, I think, with Russia,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One. “We’ll see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday.”

When asked what concessions Russia would make in a potential deal, Trump said discussions have taken place about “dividing up” assets. “We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants,” he said. “I think a lot of it has already been discussed at length by both sides, Ukraine and Russia.”

Last week, U.S. officials said “the ball is now in Russia’s court” after Ukraine agreed to the ceasefire deal. Putin has, so far, resisted fully endorsing the U.S. proposal, citing “nuances” that require “painstaking research” as his troops seek to push Ukrainian forces out of the southwestern Russian region of Kursk and strip Kyiv of a key bargaining chip in the talks.

Putin said Thursday that Russia would agree to a ceasefire only if it led to long-term peace, hinting at conditions such as barring Ukraine from receiving U.S. military aid or mobilizing new forces. He also questioned how such a ceasefire would be enforced.

Russia has consistently put forward maximalist demands that Ukraine views as unacceptable. In June, Putin said Russia would immediately stop hostilities if Ukraine surrenders four southeastern regions that Russian troops partly occupy and renounces plans to join NATO.

Moscow also dismissed proposals from Western countries to deploy foreign peacekeeping forces in Ukraine as a guarantee of its long-term security.

It remains unclear what security assurances Ukraine would receive to protect itself from future attacks or whether Trump would secure any meaningful concessions from Putin.

Steve Witkoff, an envoy for Trump, said Sunday that his most recent meeting with Putin was “positive” and that differences between Russian and Ukrainian officials appear to have “narrowed.”

“I was with the president all day yesterday. I’ll be with him today,” Witkoff said of Trump, speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “We’re sitting with him discussing how to narrow it even further.”

Witkoff, when asked whether Putin is the impediment to a peace deal, said: “I don’t want to put words in President Putin’s mouth, but I think he’s indicated that he accepts the philosophy of President Trump. President Trump wants to see an end to this.”

Witkoff said he doesn’t disagree with Trump’s assessment that a peace deal could be reached within weeks. “This is a highly, very complicated situation,” Witkoff said. “And yet we are bridging the gap between two sides.”

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) struck a more cautious note moments later on the same television program. “Time will tell,” Rounds said, “whether Putin is deceiving us.”

Rounds said Putin started the war and is the aggressor in it. If Putin is changing his mind and recognizing the damage that his war has done to his economy and military, Rounds added, there may be a way to move forward as long as there is an “enforceable peace.”

“Whatever agreements we make, they have to be enforceable or they will not work when we’re dealing with Mr. Putin,” he said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha on Monday outlined what he called Kyiv’s “non-negotiables.”

“There are fundamental issues,” Sybiha said in an RBC-Ukraine interview. “Ukraine will never recognize occupied territories. Second, no country has the right to veto the choice of the Ukrainian people or Ukraine’s decision to join any alliances, whether it is the European Union or NATO.”

U.S. national security adviser Michael Waltz said Sunday that Ukraine’s permanent membership in NATO is “highly unlikely,” echoing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s remarks last month that membership was not on the table in recognition of “hard-power realities on the ground.”

When asked what other security guarantees Ukraine would seek, Sybiha said that while alliance membership “remains the most effective security guarantee,” other measures may include air and naval patrols performed by allied forces and continued support for Ukraine’s defense industry.

France and Britain have led the effort to create a “coalition of the willing” — countries that would help guarantee any agreement, including by putting troops inside Ukraine. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman said Monday that more than 30 countries had joined the coalition. “This will be a significant force, with a significant number of countries providing troops and a larger group contributing in other ways,” he said.

Western leaders have called on Russia to reciprocate Ukraine agreeing to a ceasefire “on equal terms” and threatened to further exert pressure on Moscow if it hijacks the proposal, according to a statement released following the foreign ministers meeting of the Group of Seven nations in Charlevoix, Canada.

The ministers “discussed imposing further costs on Russia in case such a ceasefire is not agreed, including through further sanctions, caps on oil prices, as well as additional support for Ukraine, and other means,” the statement said, adding that the West may go ahead with a plan to use interest generated from frozen Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine.

One of the most significant measures Russia faced since the 2022 invasion was the freezing of more than $300 billion in Russian central bank assets held in the West. For the European Union, which last year adopted a plan to funnel revenue to Ukraine if needed, it was a way to pressure Moscow without inviting legal challenges or undermining trust in their financial systems.

Putin condemned this strategy as “theft.” Paris has recently proposed using the assets as collateral, allowing them to be seized if Moscow were to violate a potential ceasefire agreement.

Serhiy Morgunov in Kyiv contributed to this report.🔺

Modi's remarks appreciated: Chinese FM spokesperson

Indian PM Modi's recent positive remarks on China-India relations appreciated: Chinese FM spokesperson

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao

By Global Times Mar 17, 2025   

In response to a media inquiry regarding Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent remarks on India-China ties in a podcast interview, in which he emphasized dialogue over discord, and also noted that differences two neighboring countries are also natural, but our focus is to ensure that these differences don't turn into disputes. That's what we actively work toward, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday that Prime Minister Modi's recent positive remarks on China-India relations are appreciated. 

In October last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi held a successful meeting in Kazan, providing strategic guidance for improving and developing China-India relations. In recent months, both sides have earnestly implemented the important consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, strengthened exchanges and practical cooperation at various levels, and achieved a series of positive outcomes, said Mao.

Mao said that in the 2,000-year history of China-India interactions, friendly exchanges and mutual learning have been the mainstream, contributing significantly to world civilization and human progress. 

As the two largest developing countries, China and India share the common task of national development and revitalization. They should foster mutual understanding, mutual support, and mutual achievement, which aligns with the fundamental interests of their combined 2.8 billion people, meets the shared aspirations of regional countries, and follows the historical trend of the rising Global South. This approach also benefits global peace, stability, and prosperity, said Mao. 

Mao also noted that being partners in mutual achievement and realizing "a cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant is the only right choice for China and India." China is willing to work with India to fully implement the consensus reached by their leaders, take the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to advance exchanges and cooperation across various fields and levels, and promote the healthy and stable development of China-India relations.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the need to strengthen ties with China despite past tensions, advocating dialogue over discord and cooperation over conflict during an interview with MIT research scientist and podcaster Lex Fridman, which was released on Sunday. Modi also underscored that India and China should engage in healthy and natural competition rather than confrontation,according to Indian media reports.