Two Tamil Nadu fishermen hurt in Sri Lankan navy firing, India lodges protest
The Lankan navy detained 13 people who were taken to the Kangesanthurai harbour and produced before a court in Jaffna and lodged in prison. The injured men are undergoing treatment at a hospital there.
A file photo of the Sri Lankan Navy
TIRUCHY: Two people sustained serious injuries and three others suffered minor ones after Sri Lankan navy personnel opened fire at fishermen from Karaikal and Nagapattinam in the wee hours of Tuesday, triggering a furious reaction from India which summoned the acting high commissioner to lodge a strong protest.
The Lankan navy detained 13 people who were taken to the Kangesanthurai harbour and produced before a court in Jaffna and lodged in prison. The injured men are undergoing treatment at a hospital there.
When fishermen on several mechanised boats were allegedly fishing off the Kodiyakarai coast late on Monday, a Lankan navy vessel charged towards them. While other boats managed to escape, one boat owned by Ananda Vel from Karaikal was cornered by the SL Coast Guard, sources said. The Lankan forces opened fire at the men, injuring five of them, and detained all 13 on board.
They were identified as Manickavel, Dinesh, Karthikeyan, Senthamizh, Maivizhinathan, and Vettrivel from Karaikal, and Navad, Rajendran, Ramki, Sasikumar, Nandakumar, Babu, and Kumaran from Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai.
The information about the attack and detention led to anger and protest among the community in Karaikal, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai districts.
Meanwhile in Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned the acting high commissioner of the island nation and lodged a strong protest. Indian Consulate officials in Jaffna visited the injured fishermen at the hospital and are extending all possible assistance to them and their families.
The Indian high commission in Colombo has also raised the matter with the Sri Lankan foreign ministry, it said.
"The government of India has always emphasised the need to treat issues pertaining to fishermen in a humane and humanitarian manner, keeping in mind livelihood concerns. The use of force is not acceptable under any circumstances whatsoever. Existing understandings between the two governments in this regard must be strictly observed," the MEA said.