Fisherman Crisis


Author: Arun Ravi                                                                               
Editing Credits: Santhosh


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         The major problem of fishermen of India(Tamilnadu) and Sri Lanka was the crossing of borders in the Ocean. Both the country's governments concluded an international maritime boundary line in the India ocean.But how do the fishermen know the boundaries??.It became an hourly episode that the Sri Lankan navy arresting the Tamil fishermen.Prior to 1970's there were not much problems of fishermen arrests and issues of trespassing. Everything started only after the signing of Maritime Boundary Agreement in 1972 and the ceding of Kachatheevu in 1974.After the ceding, the Sri Lankan Navy extended their influence over Indian ocean.

     From 1976, the arrests of Tamil fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy and Sri Lankan fishermen by Indian Navy became a day to day activity.But it should be noted that the proportion of arrest of Sri Lankan soldiers is comparatively less to that of Indian fishermen.In the year 2013 alone it is recorded that around 600 Tamil fishermen were arrested. Occasionally the fishermen were released,but it should be noted that only the fishermen were released and not their boats.

    Letters flew often from St.George Fort to the PM office especially during the reign of Late CM Jayalalitha regarding the arrest.It was  not just the  arrests that pained them  but also the disgusting events that followed.The prisonors were forced to engage in homosexual activities with their own kiths and kins and were even tortured to death.There were incidents of death in Sri Lankan jails.

   It has since been four decades but the problem persists and could not reach a conclusion.The damaging of boats,fishing nets and the arrests are a daily news to us.The Palk Strait is a strait between India and Sri Lanka.It is were the international maritime boundary line has been carved out. Palk  Strait was geographically located in such a way, that create confusions over the  ownership of the waters.The universally accepted fact is that the tamil fishermen trespass the the maritime boundary line.Experts proposing a lot of solutions which were not practically possible.

      On January 28,2018 Sri Lankan Navy arrested 12 fishermen.The political changes took place in 2015 with the election of Maitripala Srisena brought significant changes in the bilateral relationships and the fishermen problem.

                                         

     Waiting for a permanent Solution...........................



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