Fisherman killed in attack by Lankan forces

Chennai: A fisherman was killed and another injured early yesterday, off the Ramanathapuram coast across the Palk Strait, when their boat was reportedly fired upon by Sri Lankan Navy patrols.

This is the second time that fishermen have been targeted by the Sri Lankan Navy in three weeks.

The boat came under the attack during the early hours of yesterday morning injuring two fishermen. The injured were brought to shore by 7pm local time and rushed to hospital.

Kaliyaperumal, 55, who had received a bullet on his chest, succumbed upon his arrival.

On February 25, a Lankan Navy vessel, five kilometres off the Kodiakarai coast, attacked a boat carrying six Indian fishermen from Akkarapettai village in Nagapattinam.

In the first week of February, hundreds of fishermen on the east coast went on a protest strike, demanding action by the state and central government.

Sri Lanka, citing the loss of the Lankan fishing boat "Hasarangi Dua" on March 4 says the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and Sea Tiger activity on the Tamil Nadu coastal waters has increased in recent times.

It alleges the LTTE Sea Tigers, despite Indian navy patrol presence in the area, hijacked the boat with six Sinahala fishermen.

Destroyed

The Lankan Navy claims they have so far managed to destroy nine trawlers and some smaller fibreglass boats carrying explosives from the Tamil Nadu coast.

"The Sri Lankan Navy is now regularly targeting Indian fishing boats in these waters on suspicion of hostile activity," a community leader in Nagapattinam said.

"Tamil Nadu will not keep quite, if the atrocities on Tamil fishermen continue," Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi warned last week.

The Chief Minister has also written to the Prime Minister, demanding intervention in the matter.

Intense fishing activity goes on in the area at this time of the year intensifying rivalry between Lankan and Indian fishermen for the fishing rights in the same stretch of water.

The Lankan Navy claims that they have so far managed to destroy nine trawlers and some smaller fibreglass boats carrying explosives from the Tamil Nadu coast.