The Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Ramalingam Chandrasekhar strongly condemns the incident of a Sri Lankan being arrested and severely beaten in India.
The Minister emphasizes that this is a serious violation of human rights and has a serious impact on the mutual respect and trust between neighboring countries.
Pointing out that one of the primary responsibilities of any country is to ensure the safety and dignity of the public, the Minister stated that this inhuman act is absolutely unacceptable.
The Minister further stated that although Indian fishermen have been engaged in illegal fishing activities violating Sri Lankan maritime boundaries for a long time, Sri Lankan fishermen have often viewed them with a sense of brotherhood and acted peacefully.
However, he pointed out that irregular fishing practices by Indian fishermen have led to the depletion of Sri Lanka’s marine resources, causing significant harm to the marine environment and adversely affecting the livelihoods of local fishermen.
The Minister stated that discussions have been held at several levels with Indian senior officials and fisheries authorities to resolve these issues. The need for a joint program and strong cooperation between the two countries to prevent illegal fishing activities was also emphasized.
Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekhar urges the authorities to immediately conduct a fair investigation into this attack and take legal action against the perpetrators. The Minister further stated that it is necessary to ensure that such unfortunate incidents do not recur and that it is the government's position to resolve all outstanding issues between the two countries through peaceful discussions and mutual understanding.
