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India to have naval air base
in Indian Ocean Rameswaram, April 11 The Indian Navy today conducted an exercise at the Indian Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and exhibited its firepower in high sea to combat smuggling of explosives from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka. The Indian Navy marine commandos also carried out surprise checks on fishing boats in the area. Vanhaltren, Naval Officer-in-Charge, Tamil Nadu, said that the proposal to have a naval air station, 640 km from Chennai, had been sent to the Central Government and it would be approved in the near future. “At present, we are just operating in a small sector in the Palk Bay only. A naval air station will enable us to make our presence more felt and we can cover the entire Indian Ocean,” he said. He said that the Indian Navy would have nine radars at all seven detachments it had on the coastline in Tamil Nadu. He said, “It will help us to monitor all vessels in the sea. We have three war ships now, one belonging to the Coast Guard and two to the Indian Navy. All these warships patrol the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar, which divides India from Sri Lanka.” Vanhaltren said that the Indian Navy had to ensure that there was no intrusion into the IMBL and it was a “big task”.He said, “Increased naval air surveillance will help us to prevent nefarious activities in the sea.” Regarding joint patrolling with the Sri Lankan Navy, Vanhaltren said, “It is a political decision but the Indian Navy is fully prepared to undertake such a mission.” However, he said that the Indian Navy was not keen to have joint patrolling with the Sri Lankan Navy. “It will mean we will be drawn directly into their conflict with the LTTE. It had happened in the past with the IPKF being there and we need not repeat it,” he asserted. Asked about the recent killing of Indian fishermen in the high sea which had generated a controversy with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi shooting off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he replied that it might be rivalry between groups of fishermen. “One theory is that the LTTE was doing it and putting the blame on the Sri Lankan Navy after it suffered losses following attacks by the Sri Lankan defence forces,” he explained. He admitted that smuggling from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka was going on.
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