Stalin urges PM to initate bilateral talks with the lankan navy

Recent events 

The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 12 more Rameswaram natives fishing near Katchatheevu on 12th February upon the ground of crossing the (IMBL). Later Kilinochchi Court passed an order directing the fishers in custody till 25th February. 

According to the intel, a Lankan Navy patrol vessel intercepted a mechanised boat with three men, and nine men in a different ship were fishing near Katchatheevu. The arrested fishers include B Jeromias (age 47), A Napoleon (period, 48), R Ramesh (age 21), L James (age 45), N Muniyasamy (age 34) and V Jothimuthu (age 24).  

Those 12 fishermen who were detained, were produced at Kilinochchi Court on 13/02/2022. Meanwhile, the Jaffna Court on 25th January granted release and yet 37 out of the 43 fishermen are waiting to return to India.  

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin told PM Modi that bilateral talks should be convened to stop “repeated instances of arrests and harassment” of fishermen. 

Chief Minister MK Stalin upon the recent arrest, wrote a letter addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that the harassment and consecutive arrests by the SL Navy have inflected a sense of fear, insecurity, and concern among the Rameswaram fishing community. 

Stalin urges Modi to take steps to convene bilateral talks with SL and press for initiation of negotiations through a meeting of the Joint Working Group. 

The CM also said that this was the third incident and six fishing boats and 41 fishermen were taken in custody by the Sri Lankan Navy.  

The factors that have led to the present phrase of the problem. 

The problem arises due to the method of fishing as practiced by the fishermen of Tamil Nadu, other than illegality inflected in the ways of fishing. The fishermen of south India had been using mechanised bottom trawling for a long, which had been extremely hit by a 25 years-long civil war, and they still adhere to conventional fishing. Moreover,  Sri Lanka banned the practices of bottom trawling. 

Tamil Nadu fishermen are still in Sri Lanka 

Forty-one fishermen were arrested this year. Forty-seven fishermen, who were added up along with 21 others fishermen in December, are waiting for their repatriation, thereby being released from custody.  

The new dimensions to the problem 

The steps taken by the Sri Lankan authorities to go forth with the reported auctioning of 140 impounded boats a few weeks ago caused worry and concerned the State government and the fishermen of Rameswaram. The Ministry of External Affairs, too, had asserted to the visit. When there were reports in the media about the auctioning of the 140 impounded boats, the Indian High Commission in Colombo, in a week, indicated to an existing bilateral understanding between the two governments upon the said matter and sought necessary clearance from the Sri Lankan government for the delegates from India. 

Is there any way forward? 

Some suggestions: 

1. As an alternative method to the Palk Bay fishermen, Deep-sea fishing projects can be introduced. In this aspect, they are yet to gain currency among the intended beneficiaries.  

1. Additional incentives and concessions may be given by the Centre.  

1. As in his latest letter by Mr. Stalin, which suggests Prime Minister Modi, about the Joint Working Group’s meeting, to take place in two forms, i.e. (1) at the level of officials of the two countries, and (2) talks at the level of fishermen. Implementing this process may find a solution to the long-pending problem that has been consuming the energy and resources of the two countries. 

Edited by- Subbuthai Padma

Published by- Radhika N