TN protests over death of fisherman, blames Lanka

Express news service
Tags : Nagapattinam, Sri Lankan Navy, Fisherman
Posted: Fri Jul 09 2010, 23:55 hrs Chennai:
The fishing community in Tamil Nadu is up in arms after a fisherman from Nagapattinam district died following an alleged assault by Sri Lankan Navy personnel. The state government has lodged a strong protest about the incident with the Centre.
Chellappan (55) was the oldest among four fishermen from Vellapallam, near Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam, who took to the sea on Wednesday. They were reportedly caught by the Navy personnel while fishing off the Kodaikarai coast on Wednesday night. The Lankan personnel are alleged to have thrown their nets and catch into the sea and then attacked them.
Chellappan reportedly died due to the beating and his body was brought to Nagapattinam General Hospital on Thursday morning, police said. Local sources said that fishermen on two other boats were also threatened though the police have not received any formal complaint. The fishing community has charged the Lankan Navy with regular battery and destruction of their boats.
Sources in the Coastal Security Group, the sea wing of the state police said that the fishermen may have strayed into Lankan waters. "Fishermen follow their catch and many a time stray into their waters. But there are no cases of their Navy entering, nor do we do that," said an official.
CM M Karunanidhi urged the Centre to intervene. "Even though several appeals have been made by the Tamil Nadu Government to the Prime Minister and the concerned Union Ministers through letters as well as in person, such tragic incidents have not stopped. Whenever such incidents take place, we appeal to the Union Government and they in turn make an appeal or write to the Sri Lankan Government as a measure to placate us; however such incidents keep recurring," he said in a statement. The state government has announced relief of Rs 1 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.
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