TN CM flays Sri Lankan Navy over death of 4 Indian fishermen

Citing information from fishermen that four of their community "died due to an attack" by the Sri Lankan Navy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Thursday condemned the island nation maritime force for such acts shattering their livelihood.

To put an end to such mid-sea incidents, appropriate action was being taken and his government was in touch with the union government, he said.

He has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate an appropriate inquiry through the Indian High Commission in Colombo into the incident, Palaniswami said, three days after Sri Lanka said an Indian fishing boat sank in its waters following a 'collision' with its Navy vessel.

Condoling the deaths, the Chief Minister, in an official release, said he has ordered a solatium of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the four fishermen.

Reacting to the incident, DMK president M K Stalin alleged the Lankan Navy unleashed "a barbaric attack" on the four fishermen and drowned them in sea alongwith their boat.

Referring to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's recent Sri Lanka visit and his 'talks' with the island government on the fishermen issue, Stalin said the 'killing' of the four fishermen showed the neighbouring country had no regard for India.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi should condemn Sri Lanka and pressurise that country to provide a compensation of Rs five crore each to the families of the four fishermen killed by Sri Lankan Navy," Stalin said in a statement.

Palaniswami said when four fishermen who had set out for fishing from Pudukottai district on January 18 did not return, a search operation was undertaken by Indian Coast Guard, a naval ship and helicopter on his direction.

"We now have received information through fishermen that the four (missing) fishermen died due to attack by Sri Lankan Navy," he said.

The four had ventured into the sea for fishing in a boat belonging to a man from Thangachimadam near Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram district, he said, adding it was among the 214 mechanised vessels that had set out for fishing.

Palaniswami said he has ordered a job for one member from each of the four families in government or state-run enterprises and relief assistance for the boat affected in the attack.

An official in Rameswaram said bodies of all the four fishermen have been recovered by Sri Lankan authorities. On Wednesday, bodies of two fishermen were recovered.

A protest demonstration was held in Rameswaram on Thursday, condemning the 'attack' and demanding that the government take steps to bring back the bodies of the fishermen.

The Lankan Navy had on Tuesday said it had launched a search and rescue operation for "unknown number of missing fishermen" and the sunken boat.

It had said the Navy units on patrol carried out an operation to seize Indian fishing trawlers 'poaching' in Sri Lankan waters after observing more than 50 vessels.

As the operation was going on, one of the Indian fishing trawlers tried to evade the scene, making it collide with a Sri Lankan Navy vessel, it had said.