India protests Sri Lankan Navy firing during fishermen apprehension

Photo: ANI

India has strongly protested the firing by the Sri Lankan Navy during the capture of 13 Indian fishermen near Delft Island on Tuesday. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called in the Acting Sri Lankan High Commissioner in New Delhi to express India's concerns over the incident.

In a statement, the MEA explained that the Sri Lankan High Commissioner was summoned in the morning to lodge a formal protest. The Indian High Commission in Colombo also raised the issue with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The statement revealed that two of the 13 fishermen onboard the fishing boat were seriously injured and are receiving treatment at Jaffna Teaching Hospital. Three others who suffered minor injuries were also given medical care. Indian consulate officials in Jaffna visited the injured fishermen at the hospital to ensure their well-being and offer assistance to both the fishermen and their families.

The MEA emphasized that the Indian government has always urged the humane treatment of fishermen and focused on their livelihoods. The government made it clear that the use of force in such situations is unacceptable and must not happen under any circumstances. India stressed that both countries should follow existing agreements regarding the treatment of fishermen.

This incident is part of a larger issue between Indian fishermen and the Sri Lankan Navy over fishing rights in the Palk Strait. There have been many cases of Indian fishermen being arrested or detained by the Sri Lankan Navy, leading to ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the problem.

Recently, 41 Indian fishermen, who had been detained by the Sri Lankan Navy, were sent back to India. Among them were 35 fishermen from Ramanathapuram district, who were arrested near Katchatheevu on September 8, 2024, for allegedly fishing in Sri Lankan waters. Their release came after intervention from the Indian central and Tamil Nadu governments.

Earlier, on January 16, 2024, 15 Indian fishermen were freed and returned to Chennai. These fishermen had been detained in separate incidents, including one involving eight fishermen from Mannar Island on September 27 and another involving 12 fishermen from Nagapattinam district on November 11.

Jan. 28, 2025 {{ Blogdetails.schedule_date|time }} 491

#trending #latest #India #SriLanka #FishingIncident #FishermenRights #DiplomaticEfforts #SriLankanNavy #IndianFishermen #FishingDisputes #MEA #HumanRights #JaffnaHospital #FishingConflict #PalkStrait #IndiaSriLankaRelations #FishermenSafety #breakingnews #trendingnews #DXBIndiaNews #BreakingNewsIndia #IndiaUpdates #GlobalIndiaNews #TrendingInIndia #DXBTrending #IndiaHeadlines #TopStoriesIndia #MiddleEastMeetsIndia #ViralIndiaNews #SouthAsiaNews #AllIndianews #breakingsportsnews #breakingPoliticalnews #breakingFinancenews #breakingregionalnews #Entertainmentnews #Educationnews #technologynews #DXBIndia