New Delhi: The Indian government on Thursday summoned the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in New Delhi to register a strong protest over a collision between a Sri Lankan naval vessel and an Indian fishing boat near the Katchatheevu island, which resulted in the death of an Indian fisherman. There were four fishermen aboard the fishing boat, of which two have been rescued, one died and another is missing.
"The Sri Lankan Acting High Commissioner in New Delhi was called in today morning to the Ministry of External Affairs and a strong protest was registered over the incident. We expressed our shock and anguish at the unfortunate loss of life. Our High Commissioner in Colombo will also be raising the matter with the Sri Lankan government later today," said the Ministry of External Affairs in an official statement.
Officials of the Indian consulate have been instructed to immediately rush to Kankesanthurai and extend all possible assistance to the fishermen and their families, the MEA informed. The government also asserted the need for dealing with issues pertaining to fishermen in a humane and 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 or resort to the use of force. Government attaches the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian fishermen. Issues relating to Indian fishermen have been raised regularly at the highest levels with the Sri Lankan leadership," read the statement.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Navy spokesperson Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya said that the incident occurred off Delft Island while the Navy was conducting an operation to chase away the alleged Indian poaching trawlers, as per local reports. He claimed that the Indian trawler, carrying four fishermen, capsized due to aggressive manoeuvres and rough sea conditions.
"One fisherman is missing and the Navy is conducting a search operation to locate him. One of the rescued fishermen was admitted to the Punkuduthivu Hospital but succumbed to his injuries. The other two fishermen are reported to be in stable condition, the spokesman said.
The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters. The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.
Earlier, the Sri Lankan Navy has apprehended nine Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram and two powerboats off the coast of the state for allegedly fishing beyond the Indian border, according to the Rameswaram Fishermen Association.
The association said the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended the men while fishing near Thalaimannar in the Gulf of Mannar region. This came days after massive protests by fishermen in Rameswaram against frequent arrests by the Sri Lankan Navy and they demanded the immediate release of at least 74 fishermen arrested so far this year.
Prior to this, Sri Lanka voiced its concern to India over the death of a naval sailor who was killed in an operation to seize an Indian trawler allegedly engaged in illegal fishing in the island nation's territorial waters. On June 25, off the coast of Point Pedro in the north, a senior sailor from the Navy Special Boat Squadron sustained critical injuries due to “the aggressive manoeuvres of the Indian trawler, resisting its seizure,” a statement issued by the Sri Lankan Navy said.
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