New Delhi conveys ‘strong protest’ to Colombo over death of Indian fishermen in Palk Strait
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India’s stand was conveyed to Sri Lankan Foreign Minister.
India conveyed its “strong protest” to Sri Lanka on Thursday over the death of 4 Tamil Nadu fishermen in the Palk Strait after their fishing boat reportedly collided with a Sri Lankan Navy patrol boat.
“Our strong protest was conveyed by our High Commissioner to the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister today. A strong démarche was also made to the Sri Lankan Acting High Commissioner in New Delhi,” the Ministry of External Affairs stated in New Delhi.
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I have written to the Prime Minister insisting that an appropriate inquiry be initiated into the incident through the High Commission of India,” he stated. He sanctioned ₹10 lakh every in solatium to the bereaved households. One member of every household could be given a authorities or government-related job.
DMK president M.K. Stalin demanded that Mr. Modi condemn the Sri Lankan authorities for the incident and sought a compensation of ₹5 crore for every of the households. Mr. Stalin alleged that whereas India’s External Affairs Minister just lately stated he had raised the problem of releasing Indian fishermen held in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan authorities was not respecting India or its authorities.
Fishermen staged protests in components of the State condemning the incident.
The improvement comes days after 4 fishermen from Tamil Nadu, who ventured into the Palk Strait on Monday, have been reported lacking. The Sri Lankan Navy stated their boat “sank” whereas “resisting arrest” by the Sri Lankan patrol items that attempted to seize the Indian fishing trawler for allegedly fishing in Sri Lankan waters. The Sri Lankan Navy’s divers recovered two bodies on Wednesday and two extra on Thursday, reportedly of the lacking fishermen.
Once officers on the Indian Consulate-General in Jaffna establish the our bodies, additional motion can be taken, based mostly on the directives of the Justice of the Peace court docket and judicial medical officers, Sri Lankan Navy officers stated. “There are also COVID-19 protocols to be followed. We will take necessary steps accordingly,” Navy spokesman Indika de Silva instructed The Hindu.
“We are shocked at the unfortunate loss of lives of three Indian fishermen and one Sri Lankan national following a collision between their vessel and a Sri Lankan naval craft,” the Ministry of External Affairs stated in a strongly worded assertion. “Expressing our deep anguish at the loss of lives, we emphasised the need to deal with issues pertaining to fishermen in a humanitarian manner. 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,” it stated.
Though fishermen’s arrests are often mentioned at bilateral conferences, the final time the matter escalated was in 2017, when Rameswaram fisherman K. Britjo died of a bullet harm in the Palk Strait. While Tamil Nadu fishermen stated he was shot lifeless by the Sri Lankan Navy, the Sri Lankan Navy denied the cost. The Government of India had sought a full investigation then.
(With inputs from Tamil Nadu Bureau)
