Edappadi K Palaniswami urges Modi to act tough on Lanka in fishermen issue

Condemning the action of the Sri Lankan Navy and urging India to stake a strong diplomatic stand, Palaniswami sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to secure the release of 53 fishermen and 144 fishing boats, including the three fishermen and their boats apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy on July 8. In a Demi-Official letter to Modi, he said India should take a strong diplomatic stand on the issue.  

Recalling the arrest of three fishermen on July 8, he said the continuing apprehensions of fishermen, the attempts of the Sri Lankan Government to destroy the Indian fishing operations in the Palk Bay and the recent legislation enacted in Sri Lankan Parliament regarding impounding and levying of huge penalties were creating a sense of fear and unrest among the fishermen community of Tamil Nadu. 

“The deft strategy of the Sri Lankan Government of impounding the boats and gear of our fishermen for long periods of time, thereby causing an irreparable damage to them, has already pushed our fishermen into despondency,” he added. Palaniswami said the latest amendment Bill moved by the Sri Lankan Government was aimed at causing catastrophe to the livelihood propositions of fishermen. 

“These strategies of the Sri Lanka to put in place mechanisms aimed at disrupting normalcy at sea and destroying the primary means of livelihood of our fishermen, without having any respect for the Indian diplomacy, are strongly condemned,” he said. 

The Chief Minister urged the Centre to take a firm diplomatic stand with the Sri Lankan Government on the above issues. He said the Centre has sanctioned a Rs 200 crore package for diversification of fishing in the Palk Bay, which meant for conversion of the trawling boats to long-liner boats. 

The state was strongly assisting the fishermen in the conversion, besides building a harbour at Mookaiyur to enable relocation of trawlers from Palk Bay to Gulf of Mannar. 

While the recent Fisheries Bill of Sri Lanka is threatening the livelihood of Tamil Nadu fishermen, CR Senthilvelan, TN Fishermen’s Federation general secretary, draws attention to the amendments to the TN Marine Fisheries Regulation Act 1983. The amendments gazetted in July last year, “Are like a Damocles sword hanging over our heads as it makes earning a livelihood through fishing difficult,” he said.  The new rules demand that country craft fish beyond 3 nautical miles and mechanised boat beyond 5 nautical miles. If found violating for the third time, the fishermen stand to lose their licences and subsides forever.  “The government has not implemented the penal clauses as it is gauging the reaction of the fishing community,” said S Anbu, a fisherman from Chennai’s Kasimedu. Many felt that asking country crafts to venture deep into sea was not practical with local fishermen already affected by Andhra counterparts seizing their boats.  “Another clause allows only those above 18 years to venture into the sea, which also affects this community,” Senthilvelan added.  Asked about this, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar refused to comment as the Assembly was in session. 

Stating that the new Sri Lankan Fisheries Bill can remain only on paper, Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Pon Radhakrishnan on Monday, said that legal experts would analyse the bill  on its practicality.  He told the reporters here, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly asked the President and the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka to approach the fishermen issue on humanitarian grounds. Such a law that envisages heavy fine and punishment for another nation’s fishermen can only be on the books,” he said and added that it should not be a tit-for-tat situation where the Indian defence personnel could arrest their fishermen entering Indian waters. Elaborating the efforts taken by the Centre on fishermen issue, he said the matter can be solved easily by maintaining friendly ties with the Island nation, rather than handling it with an iron hand. “This is the reason behind PM Modi maintaining a cordial relationship with all the neighbouring countries, including Pakistan,” he added.