HC asks Centre, TN, to look into fishermen's grievances
8 March 2017 11:51 PM IST
The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the central and state governments to look into grievance about welfare schemes for rehabilitating families of Tamil Nadu fishermen affected by attacks allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy in the Palk Straits.
"The Central and State Governments are directed to look into the grievance about the welfare schemes of fishermen if already not looked into," a bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice M Sundar said.
It disposed of a PIL seeking a direction to central and state governments to formulate welfare schemes to rehabilitate families of Tamil Nadu fishermen, affected by the "recurring attacks".
Petitioner Fisherman Care, an NGO, had sought a direction to formulate welfare schemes to rehabilitate families of affected fishermen, by providing employment, housing and financial assistance for seeking their livelihood.
The petitioner alleged that since 1983 there were various human rights violations against the fisherman by the Lankan Navy in Palk Straits. These violations were the offshoot of India's "historic blunder" in ceding Katchathivu islet to Sri Lanka, the petitioner contended.
Quoting Coast Guard figures, he said a total of 111 fishermen had been killed between 1983 and 2013. He submitted that the recent meetings between India and Sri Lanka to find out a concrete solution to settle the issue has also failed.
Meanwhile, the protest by hundreds of fishermen here against the killing of a colleague allegedly by Sri Lankan Navy entered the second day on Wednesday as they demanded an assurance by the Centre on protecting their livelihood.
Hardening their stand, the protesters demanded that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visit them and assure that they would not be attacked by Sri Lankan naval men while fishing in their traditional areas in the Palk Strait.
Local fishermen association leaders, including S Emiret and N J Bose, said they would boycott fishing till Swaraj visited Rameswaram and extended the assurance. A large number of police personnel have been posted on the island to monitor the situation which was tense but under control, police said.
Moreover, DMK on Wednesday wrote to the External Affairs Minister, saying the killing of an Indian fisherman allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy violated agreements arrived at the tripartite talks and has led to the feeling of "displeasure" against the Centre.
Terming the March 6 firing as "a grave human rights violation and absolutely unlawful", DMK Working President M K Stalin urged External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to intervene in the matter and end such incidents.
PM announces scheme for fishermen
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced a scheme for giving loans up to Rs 1 crore to small and marginal fishermen for buying modern boats so that they can venture into the deep sea for a better catch. Under the scheme, the draft of which is almost ready and which will be implemented all over the country, poor fishermen will be ask to form a group in their villages. The group will be given a loan up to Rs 1 crore under the MUDRA scheme. The Centre will contribute 50 per cent of funds.
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