Chennai, Oct 20 (BPNS)
The Tamil Nadu Mechanised Boat Fishermen Association has called upon the Central and State governments to take up the issue of Sri Lankan Naval personal regularly attacking Indian fishermen near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL)
President of the association M. Asan Mohaideen while speaking to IANS said, “The Sri Lankan Navy is indulging in attacking Indian fishermen and trying to kill them using ‘illegitimate methods’. The attack by the Sri Lankan Navy on an Indian fishing boat led to the drowning of a fisherman, Rajkiran, and the Sri Lankan Navy should be held responsible for this.”
The mechanized boat fishermen association staged protest marches at Kottaipattanam in Pudukottai district on Tuesday evening over the attack of the Sri Lankan Navy on an Indian fishing boat. A fisherman, Rajkiran(30) from Kottaipattanam is missing in the sea and the fishermen association alleges that he was killed by the Sri Lankan Navy.
Mohaideen said, “This is not an isolated incident and the Sri Lankan Navy is not opening fire to kill our fishermen but is using other methods to do away with them. The Central government and the Tamil Nadu state government must take up the matter at the highest level in Sri Lanka.”
Sri Lankan Navy in a statement on Tuesday has however said that it had rescued two Indian fishermen from a fishing boat that was sinking. It had also stated that the Indian fishermen were poaching in Sri Lankan waters and were clearly inside the Lankan waters of the IMBL.
The Lankan Navy also said that one fisherman had went “missing” during the incident and that the two rescued fishermen were detained at Kankesenthurai in Jaffna.
The Sri Lankan Navy also said that its personal used to chase away the Indian fishing trawlers but one vessel with “aggressive manoeuvers” “ resisted the chase and advanced leading to a collision with the Sri Lankan Naval vessel.
It is to be noted that a fisherman from Kottaipattanam in Pudukottai has reportedly died after falling into the sea when the vessel in which he was indulging in fishing collided with a Sri Lankan naval vessel on Monday night.
Official sources told IANS that three fishermen, Rajkiran (30), Arockya Xavier (32), and Suganthan (23) of Kottaipattanam in Pudukottai had gone to the sea for fishing on Monday near the IMBL at Katchatheevu and a Sri Lankan Naval vessel intercepted them.
One of the fishermen, Rajkiran fell into the sea, while the two others, Suganthan and Arockia Xavier were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of crossing the IMBL and poaching in Sri Lankan waters.
M. Chinnakuppan, Assistant Director of Fisheries, Pudukottai while speaking to BPNS said, “ I have got information that the body of Rajkiran has been recovered from the sea and has been sent to Kankesnethurai in Jaffna for postmortem.”
However Sri Lankan Navy denied that they have recovered the body of Rajkiran and in a statement said that the search is on for the “missing fisherman”.
Meanwhile, at Kottaipattanam angry fishermen raised slogans against the Sri Lankan Navy and blocked roads and said that the Sri Lankan Navy was responsible for the death of Rajkiran.
