Sri Lanka Navy personnel sink boat of TN fishermen, chase them away

Eds Adds quotes Rameswaram TN, Jan 20 PTI A group of Indian fishermen were allegedly attacked by Sri Lankan Navy personnel, when they were fishing near the island nations waters and a boat was sunk following a collision, a senior Fisheries department official said here.In the wake of renewed attack on Indian fishermen, representatives from the community called on Chief Minister M K Stalin at the Secretariat here today and urged him to prevail upon the Centre to take up the issue at diplomatic level and ensure an early end to the attacks.

(Eds: Adds quotes) Rameswaram (TN), Jan 20 (PTI): A group of Indian fishermen were allegedly attacked by Sri Lankan Navy personnel, when they were fishing near the island nation's waters and a boat was sunk following a collision, a senior Fisheries department official said here.

In the wake of renewed attack on Indian fishermen, representatives from the community called on Chief Minister M K Stalin at the Secretariat here today and urged him to prevail upon the Centre to take up the issue at diplomatic level and ensure an early end to the attacks. ''The Chief Minister, who gave a patient hearing, assured to pursue the matter with the Centre," claimed P Sesuraja, president of All Mechanised Boat Fishermen Association.

He told PTI that the delegation also asked him to secure the release of 56 out of 68 fishermen from Rameswaram, Mandapam and Jagathapattinam still languishing in Lankan prison and also their fishing vessels. "Of the 68 arrested on December 18, 19 and 20, 2021, 12 fishermen were released. We urged the Chief Minister to use his good office to secure the release of our mechanised fishing boats seized by Sri Lanka," Sesuraja said.

As many as seven fishermen who were in the boat fell into the water following the collision with the Lankan Navy vessel near Katchatheevu, the fisheries department official said.

The Lankan Navy personnel also cut the nets of the Indian fishermen and chased them away, he said and alleged that they (Lankan Navy men) did not even bother to try and rescue the fishers who fell into the water.

''Apart from sinking the boat, the Lankan navy did not evince any interest to check the plight of the fishermen on board. They not only cut our fishing nets but also chased us away,'' a fisherman, belonging to the All Mechanised Fishermen Association, said.

The fishermen had set out to the sea from Rameswaram in 569 trawlers on Wednesday evening. However, they returned to the Rameswaram coast in the wee hours of today after being chased away by the Lankan naval personnel and complained to the fisheries department officials.

Ramanathapuram MP K Navas Kani, urged the Centre to take up the issue of attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen with the Sri Lanka government and also sought compensation for the loss of the fishing equipment.

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