New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs Thursday called Sri Lanka’s acting high commissioner to its office to register a strong protest over the death of an Indian fisherman after a fishing boat collided with a Sri Lankan naval vessel.
“We expressed our shock and anguish at the unfortunate loss of life,” an MEA release read. The MEA reiterated the prioritisation of the “safety and security” of Indian fishermen and the need to deal with the issues in a humanitarian way.
Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha will raise the issue with the Sri Lankan government in Colombo, the ministry said. The consulate in Jaffna has been mobilised to provide support to the fishermen and their families.
“Existing understandings between the two governments in that regard must be strictly observed. Utmost efforts should be made to ensure that there is no recurrence or resort to the use of force,” the release added.
The boat was carrying four fishermen, all of whom fell into the sea after a tussle with Sri Lankan authorities when they were allegedly trying to avoid arrest by the navy patrol vessel.
While two fishermen were brought ashore to safety, one was still missing. Search operations were underway to find the missing person. The boat capsized early Thursday in Sri Lankan waters, five nautical miles north of Katchatheevu.
Fishing rights around the island are a longstanding issue and a source of tension between India and Sri Lanka. While traditionally, Indian fishermen from Rameswaram, Thangachimadam and Pamban in Tamil Nadu have fished in the area, frequent arrests by Sri Lankan authorities have raised concerns.
Indian fishermen in April had boycotted the annual feast at St Antony’s Church in Katchatheevu to protest such arrests. On 19 July, Tamil Nadu’s Rameswaram, too, saw massive demonstrations.
So far this year, as of July, Sri Lankan authorities have arrested 252 Indian fishermen and seized 35 trawlers for poaching. In a mass arrest, 25 fishermen were detained and four boats taken away by Sri Lankan authorities in one day on 1 July.
According to the Rameswaram Fishermen Association, another nine fishermen were apprehended on 23 July. The Indian government has regularly raised the issue with the Sri Lankan leadership.
Sri Lanka, too, voiced concern in June this year when a naval officer was killed while attempting to capture an Indian trawler.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
Also read: Rameswaram’s fisherfolk furious with Katchatheevu politics. ‘Don’t want island, just fishing rights’