WFFP Indian member organization leader, M. Ilango has written a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj about to get the ownership of Katchchathivu back to India, reversing 1974 and 1976 India - Sri Lanka pact to handing over the island to Sri Lanka.
Interestingly, Illango has requested the Indian PM and Foreign minister come up with an agreement between highest level of authorities in both the countries to release all the vessels and fishermen arrested and held in jail and no more arrests in the future any more.
This is some what important as far as Sri Lankan fishermen who are accusing the Indian trawler invasion in to SL waters and destroy their resources.
At the same time, this could be a goof news to the Sri Lankan fishermen who are crossing the boarder in the southern districts through multi day boats.
How do we solve the issues related to northern, eastern and north/ western fishermen's serious issues in relation to this Indian trawler invasion.
This is some thing we need to take up at the WFFP coordination committee level. However, there is a background materials to argue about the trans boundary issues through Voluntary Guidelines on Small Scale Fisheries, [VGSSF] which was adopted at the COFI 31 session in June this year and also the Voluntary Guidelines on Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests.[VGGT] which was adopted at Committee of World Food Security of Food and Agriculture of the United Nations.
I would like to upload the letter of M.Illango, the chair of NFF India for the information of you all.
To :
Shri.
Narendra Modiji,
Hon’ble
Prime Minister of India,
New Delhi.
Hon’ble sir,
Sub.: Requisition to retrieve
the Katchatheve Island and seek out
permanent solution for the
Indian – Srilankan fishermen
issues - reg.
***
Warm
greetings from National Fishworkers’ Forum !
I would like to put forth to your
perceive that one of the Fishermen Welfare Organization had filed a Writ Petition
before the Hon’ble High Court of Judicature at Chennai, looking for remedies in
favour of the Indian Fishermen to do fishing in the sea surface between the
Indian and Sri Lankan Countries and to recover the Katchatheve Island from the
Sri Lanka, which was initially belonged to India. When the hearing of the case was posted on
last 01.07.2014, the Additional Solicitor General of Government of India had
filed a Statement stating that ‘as per the Agreement entered between the Indian
and SriLankan Governments in the year 1974 & 1976, the Indian fishermen are
not having authorization to do fishing near the Katchatheve Island’. This estimation of the Union Government may
be factual as per the Agreement which subsists now.
Although,
the fishermen of TamilNadu and Puducherry are having sturdy trust that as the
continuation of fulfilling the promises conveyed by you, the other BJP leaders
viz., Shri.Rajnath Singh and Smt.Sushma Swaraj in the campaigning of latest Lok
Sabha Election, the present Union
Government headed by your goodself would embrace that the Katchatheve Island
belongs to India.
I would also like to notify you that
the TamilNadu BJP Leader Shri.Jana.Krishnamoorthy had filed a Writ Petition
before the Hon’ble High Court of Judicature at Chennai to recuperate the
Katchatheve Island.
Smt.Sushma Swaraj also had sworn in
the ‘Sea Lotus Meeting’ which was held before the Election that the BJP would retrieve
the Katchatheve Island from SriLanka.
I would like to bring your kind notice
that the National Fishworkers’ Forum observed a five days ‘Dharna’ in Janthar Manthar
of New Delhi emphasizing the demands of fishermen during the beginning of March
2013, and even when myself and other Office Bearers of the Forum had met
Smt.Sushma Swaraj in the Parliament Complex, she had articulated that the BJP understood the issues of the Indian fishermen
including the Katchatheve Island and as the result of it; those issues were
cited in the ‘BJP National Policy on Fishing & Fishermen’ and those would
be resolved when the BJP heads the Union Government.
I
bring your kind attention to the fact that in the Policy Document of BJP
released in the year 2010, in the page of ‘“National
Policy on Fishing & Fishermen” marked in the 48th page; it was
cited as the following:-
“ ENCROACHMENT ON TERRITORIAL WATERS
1.Sri Lanka : In the last two decades,
an estimated 500 fishermen have been killed by the security agencies of Sri
Lanka. After the transfer of the
Katchatheve islands to Sri Lanka in 1976, fishermen had restricted access to
the island, regardless of the terms of the agreement.
Fishermen
have braved arrests to fish in these waters.
It is not
uncommon for fishing craft to inadvertently stray into the territorial waters
of another nation and tragically, it often costs them their lives. The establishment of a Joint Working Group
(JWG) and constant interface between security agencies of the concerned nations
could go a long way in preventing such mishaps. ”
In the campaigning of recent Lok Sabha
held at Chennai; your goodself also proclaimed that if the BJP heads the Union
Government, the issues of TamilNadu fishermen would be instantly &
permanently solved.
Since
the BJP has headed the present Union Government under your benign leadership,
the TamilNadu and Puducherry fishermen are with strong belief that their
problems would be resolved permanently.
Whilst,
the present Statement filed by the Union Government in the aforesaid Writ,
relates to the Katchatheve Island has disappointed our fishermen.
The
present Statement of Additional Solicitor General may have been avoided without
showing any hurry and in fact the same has been the mimic of the stand held by
the past Union Government.
The Additional Solicitor General may
have obtained further time in lieu of filing an enhanced Statement after
concluding higher level Meetings and decisions held in the Union Government and
also with the Government of Sri Lanka.
We
request your goodself to bestow magnitude as an emergency in resolving the
problems of Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen permanently as if you invited the
top level Leaders of the neighborhood Countries for your Swear-in-Ceremony as
Prime Minister of India and on the same time you smartly held discussions with
them to seek out solutions for the issues between India and their Countries.
We
kindly request you to take steps for an Agreement to be entered between Indian
and Sri Lankan fishermen for permanent solutions; after the higher level of
bilateral Meetings held between the concerned Ministers and top level Officials
of both the India & Sri Lanka, with the consultation of Hon’ble Chief
Minister of Tamil Nadu.
The ‘Term’ that any one of India or
Sri Lanka Government would not arrest any of other Country fishermen stating
that they have crossed their maritime borders, should be entered in the
aforesaid Agreement.
We
request you to take steps to release the fishermen who were arrested and
imprisoned in both the India and Sri Lanka Governments and hand over the seized
fishing vessels to the respective fishermen.
We further plea before you to take
steps in favour of both the Indian & Sri Lankan fishermen to involve in
their fishing activities in the sea surfaces between both the Countries as
brotherhood and as well as maintaining the traditional fishing like the past.
We request your goodself to seek out
permanent remedies for the fishermen of India by taking steps for the required
bilateral talks between both the Indian & Sri Lankan Countries, in order to
defend the livelihoods of their fishermen and empower them to do their fishing
activities amicably in the sea surface between India & Sri Lanka, including
adherence of fishing ban period by both the fishermen.
M. Ilango
Chairperson,
National Fishworkers’ Forum
