Deputy High Commissioner summoned
Amid uproar in Parliament, the Centre summoned the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner to South Block and demanded speedy release of 53 Indian fishermen arrested by the island Navy. (Nineteen were arrested on Wednesday and the rest on Thursday)
With irate parliamentarians from Tamil Nadu attacking the government for its feeble response, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and his deputy Preneet Kaur made statements in either House promising a lasting solution.
They said Colombo had been well acquainted with Indian expectations from the Sri Lankan Navy if it detained Indian fishermen — exercise restraint, extend humane treatment and not resort to violence under any circumstances. South Block also underlined this message to Sri Lankan diplomat Colonne Mahishini.
But Sri Lankan diplomatic sources contested assertions of complete blamelessness on the part of the fishermen, claiming that in one case, 500 boats had crossed over and damaged the fishing gear of local fishermen. This led to an agitation by Sri Lankan fishermen causing the Navy to step in and make arrests. They also complained of extensive use of bottom trawlers that even scrape the coral on the sea bed.
Of the 53 fishermen detained at Thalaimannar, 19 were on four traditional fishing boats and 34 aboard five trawlers. A Ministry of External Affairs official said India had recognised the ecology and marine life-damaging tendency of trawlers and stopped issuing new licences.
The DMK, the AIADMK, the CPI and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi went hammer and tongs at the government in both Houses over the Sri Lankan Navy’s rough methods.
They raised the political temperature by forcing adjournments in both Houses which might have led to statements by the Ministers. Unsatisfied with Ms. Kaur’s reply, AIADMK members walked out of the Lok Sabha.
In the Lok Sabha, T.K.S. Elangovan (DMK) described India as the biggest democracy but one of the weakest in protecting its own citizens. “That is what has happened in Sri Lanka with regard to Rameswaram fishermen and also with the [terrorist attack on] CRPF men in Kashmir.”
Mr. Elangovan said attacks on fishermen had become a daily affair despite many assurances by the government. “These Tamil [Nadu] fishermen are not going to capture the country; they are going to sea to capture fish. They don’t know where the maritime boundary is. I don’t know what our Coast Guard is doing.”
M. Thambi Durai (AIADMK) pointed out that the Chief Minister had written several times to the Prime Minister and felt the harsh behaviour of the Sri Lankan Navy was linked to Indian political parties and groups highlighting Colombo’s violation of human rights of its Tamils.
In the Rajya Sabha, AIADMK members walked into the well. Party leader V. Maitreyan and two others even squatted there, forcing Chairman Hamid Ansari to adjourn the House till noon. Earlier, Tiruchi Siva (DMK) said that in March alone, six incidents of arrest had taken place. and demanded a permanent solution to the problem.
Making a suo motu statement in the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Khurshid said the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner was summoned to convey India’s concerns and demands including the immediate release and repatriation of the apprehended Indian fishermen. “We have emphasised the need for the Sri Lankan Navy to exercise restraint.”
India continued to remain engaged with Sri Lanka to ensure that fishermen on both sides could pursue their livelihood in a safe, secure and sustainable manner. The government was working on a “lasting solution” so that the fishing community came to an arrangement that did not lead to tension between the two sides, he said.
Keywords: Fishermen arrest, Sri Lanka Navy action, DMK, AIADMK, Parliament session, UPA government, Sri Lanka envoy summoning
So many indian supporters for Srilanka's cruel behaviour. When any fellow indians are killed by terrorism or natural calamities, in any part of India my blood bolis. But why dont people from other states India show such concern to Tamils in tamil nadu. Do you feel they are killing our country men?
Ravi,
I do not understand context/meaning of your big sermon.
53 Indian fishermen have been arrested and a fisherman has been shot at.
Are you saying it is wrong on part of State Govt demanding central govt to secure release of the prisoners?
If so, what you saying is nothing short of being pathetic and inhuman. We have to understand that fishermen have been fishing in those waters for centuries and few decades back Indian Govt gave Kachateevu to SL which resulted in SL owning that section of International waters..
It would take time for fishermen to get accustomed to the fact that they cannot fish there and find alternative places for their daily food.
So we have to find measure to control Indian fisherman from going into International waters. This might require support from our Indian Navy to prevent fisherman from crossing borders and prevent SL navy from shooting innocent/poor fishermen.
The people and politicians of tamil nadu should stop the armtwisting tactics towards India. This country has its own burning problems to solve everyday.Beating the bush for selfish interests and projecting tamils are the only concern India cant be accepted. As rightly said by another reader here,Sri Lanka is a sovereign country and trying to boss over will only bring bitterness further. Its a blessing for our China to get closer to Sri Lanka,whenever the politcians from Tamil Nadu make unruly behaviour in the parliament.
People of tamil nadu should be ashamed to send such representatives to
parliament.Has anyone ever bothered to know the violations fishermen from tamil nadu make by crossing Indian territorial waters?Sri Lankan navy has every reason to
arrest tamil fishermen who break rules and cry wolf.
It is shameless attitude of India, without stopping theft of neighbours
resources asking neighbour to release the thieves. Sri Lanka must
destroy all these illegal trawlers captured and retain the boats and
catch illegally harvested from Lankan waters and fine repeated
offenders. Indian High Commission can pay the fine.
Countries smaller than smallest district in Indian states like Italy or Sri Lanka are threatening
India's security and sovereignty but the government is helpless to do any thing in this
matter. A small country like Israel is able to control the aggressive neighbors and is able to exercise its might with countries much bigger than itself. Where are leaders like Vallabhai Patel or Indira Gandhi now who can save the country from disaster??
when Indian Fishermen cross Sri Lankan waters..Repeatedly .what Sri
Lankan Navy is expected to do ? Tamil Nadu MPs needs to explain
Every time there is an arrest, the SL Navy claim that Tamil fishermen
were trespassing and we deny this. Can we use technology to collect
proof of our claims? A simple position logging system (GPS?) could be
installed on all these boats, so that there will be clear evidence of
trespassing or not! With so many software firms in India, it should
even be possible to create an inexpensive automated tracking software
that could raise an alarm when a boat enters foreign waters. If it can
distribute new laptops to students, the government can definitely give
this device free of cost to fishing boats and make it a mandatory
requirement to retain/obtain fishing licenses.
India's strategic military interests are much more than that of Sri
Lanka or any other South Asian Country in this region. Same time
Indian Government should protects its Indian citizen who have always
been at the receiving end. Kachathivu being leased out to Sri Lanka
has not done any good to the Fishermen of Tamil Nadu rather it has
adversely affected their interests for such long years. Time has
come now that Indian Government should scrap the lease of Kachathivu
with SriLanka. Tamil Nadu Government should insist for the same
vigourously.
Indian Navy should defend border at the ocean like the jawans protecting LOC.
Mr. Ravi,
Sri Lanka also should know that India & Tamil Nadu is a reality & neighbor. Do you want the people of Tamil Nadu to surrender and become subservient to Sinhalese? This "thivu" was given to Sri Lanka by center of India!
Actually Tamilnadu is one among the developing states in our country. It gives adequate revenue for the Indian finance. But the government does not give importance to tamilnadu in the case of human rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Ravi's comments are biased and condemnable as this is supporting chauvunist Sinhala govt.Indian Govt is weak even against a tiny Srilanka says how our foreign policy has failed miserably over the years.
The foreign policy making body is to be completely revamped which looks like having dominated by a single state with vested interests. I am not sure what Indian Navy is doing? Are we having a Navy at all to protect our own citizens?
All the time Srilanka dictates and arrests our fishemen and not even a single instance of our Navy doing anything?
It is a significant gesture by the New Delhi government finally to
have summoned the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner to South
Block and demanded speedy release of 53 Indian fishermen arrested by
the island Navy.
The loss of 500+ TN fishermen life shows India does not have power in
its own boundary line or India is unfair towards Tamil. India is
slowly demolishing the culture and heritage of Tamil. If TN is a
separate nation we would not have lost 500+ fishermen. In independent
India Tamil does not see water flowing on their primary river and
Tamil farmers lost half of their land to electric lines and gas lines
for other state in the country.
India cannot save its own people and in future if China attacks
Kudankulam nuclear plant then there will not be a race named Tamil, at
that time India will watch as an audience.
It has become a regular feature and there is no end to this solution.
the frequency of arresting of TN fishermen by Lankan army has
increased in recent times which creates a doubt in mind that the
Lankan army is carrying out this arrest with the help of Indian
government in order to threaten the people Tamilnadu to keep away from
Srilankan tamil problems. When India cannot talk to Srilankan
authority to avoid such arrests, how can Indian government is going to
save its citizen by using its armed forces. Protecting its citizen is
a foremost duty of any government, but what is happening in Gulf of
Mannar telling otherwise.
Jeyalalitha should put more pressure on the central government so that
srilankan navy keeps off from such activities. Otherwise Tamilnadu
should weigh an option of forming a Coast Guard like State Police
Force to safeguard its people. DMK is a conduit to Congress and it can
only act as if it is fighting for the tamils.
SriLanka is a geographical reality and it is a sovereign country. The Tamil parties need to
wake up to that. India is no US of A or even China. We need to learn to live with our
neighbours, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and China. This kind of rabble rousing in
Parliament for every issue and asking Indian army, navy and what not to be ready for action
is plain foolish.
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