Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Judicial probe sought into killing of fishermen

MADURAI: The Joint Action Committee Against Violation of Fishermen Rights has demanded a probe by a sitting judge into the death of four fishermen, who had set out to sea from Rameswaram fishing harbour on April 2. While the body of X. Victus of Thangachimadam was buried in Sri Lanka after a visit to a local hospital by his relatives, the bodies of F. Antonyraj of Vercodu, N. John Paul of Thangachimadam and M. Marimuthu of Ottankulam were washed ashore on April 12, 14 and 16 respectively along the coast of Ramanathapuram and Pudukottai districts.

Addressing a press conference organised by the People's Watch, a human rights organisation, here on Thursday, C. J. Rajan, State convenor of the committee, claimed that all the deceased fishermen were killed by Sri Lankan Naval personnel, following the defeat of the Sri Lankan cricket team by India in the International Cricket Conference World Cup final. Mr. Rajan, who led a fact-finding team to Rameswaram, said that there were eyewitnesses to the capture and attack of the occupants of the boat. He wanted the cases of missing fishermen at sea registered in coastal police stations under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code to be filed under Section 302 (murder).

Mr. Rajan wanted both the Centre and the State to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of four fishermen. The spouses of the deceased should be provided a government job and the State should bear the education expenses of their children. He also demanded a white paper on the atrocities of Sri Lankan Navy against fishermen of Tamil Nadu in the last 30 years. The JAC called upon the Union Government to snap bilateral ties with Sri Lanka in view of the continued attacks on fishermen.

X. Nallathambi, brother of the deceased Victus, said that the order banning fishing around Kachatheevu in Palk Strait, which came into effect in 1983 following ethnic violence in Sri Lanka, should be lifted. Fishermen from Tamil Nadu should be allowed to fish in Palk Strait as per the 1974 agreement. A. Robin of Thangachimadam, who went to Sri Lanka to identify the body of one of the fishermen, alleged that the Sri Lankan Navy was using new methods to torture fishermen and mutilating their bodies beyond recognition. The fishermen said that they enjoyed the goodwill and cooperation of their counterparts in Sri Lanka and it was from them did they know about the death of the missing fishermen.

Henri Tiphagne, Executive Director, People's Watch, felt that a Special Investigation Team should be formed to probe the torture and missing cases of fishermen. The team should be assisted by experts like R. K. Raghavan and P. Chandrasekaran.

The fishermen of both the countries should be allowed to cross the international boundary line. Such a demand should be put forth by the fishermen of India and Sri Lanka, he said.

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