Heroin case on fishermen is a bad precedent, says Tamilisai

“It is a wrong move which if not protested against would create a bad precedent. Moreover, other fishermen could also be arrested in the future on similar baseless charges” Tamilisai Soundararajan, state BJP president, told DTNext on Thursday. Expressing confidence that the Centre would help in this issue, she said, “TN government should also ensure protection for fishermen otherwise there was every chance of their being arrested on similar charges frequently.” 

“The arrest of fishermen by the Lankan navy and the state and central governments getting them repatriated through talks has become a routine affair. There seems to be no end to this problem by the island nation. But in a narcotics case, it will not be easy to save and bring them back to the country. Also this would affect fishermen’s families, who will be without support till their release” she added.

Ravikumar, general secretary, VCK, said that TN fishermen were facing problems of all kinds when they go to sea. “There is no protection to their lives, business and even belongings. The BJP government at the Centre, which claimed that it will find a lasting solution to the ongoing arrests by the Sri Lankan Navy, is now remaining mute spectator,” he charged. 

R Nallakannu, CPI leader, said “The Centre should see the TN fishermen as Indians and insist on the Sri Lankan government to initiate stringent action against those indulging in human rights violation,”. Nallakannu said that as long as the Centre did not find a solution to the Katchatheevu issue, such harassment of fishermen would continue, he warned. 

Former Union Minister and PMK youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss said that the Centre should take strong measures to protect the fishermen. “Atrocities against TN fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy has been continuing and now it is crossing the limits. Unless a permanent solution is arrived at through talks, there will be no end to the plight of fishermen,” he said.

Five Indian fishermen, who were arrested by the Lankan Navy in November 2011 and sentenced to death in a heroin smuggling case, were released after three years on November 19, 2014, following a Presidential pardon from Mahinda Rajapaksa. The five fishermen were P Emerson (40), P Agustus (32), R Wilson (42), K Prasad (30) and J Langlet (22).