Minister Bimal Rathnayake has called on the Indian government to take decisive action to resolve the long-standing fishermen dispute between India and Sri Lanka, stressing on the severe impact on northern Sri Lankan communities.
Addressing Parliament, Rathnayake urged both the Indian central government and the Tamil Nadu administration to enforce their own laws to prevent Indian fishermen from encroaching into Sri Lankan waters.
“The people of the North rely solely on the fisheries industry. I request the Indian government, as well as the Tamil Nadu government, to ensure that this livelihood is not taken away from them,” he said.
The Minister said that while India has provided various forms of assistance to Sri Lanka, failure to address this critical issue raises a question.
“No matter how much the Indian government has helped the Sri Lankan government, if they fail to help the people of the North with this particular issue, then there is a question of whether this is really help,” he said.
Highlighting the economic struggles faced by local fishermen, the Minister said that fishing communities in the North of Sri Lanka are struggling economically when compared to the communities of the South. “Fishermen in Mannar have told me about how they spend five days at sea to earn what they previously made in a single day,” the Minister said.
“Helping people does not mean merely distributing flood relief; it means creating opportunities for them to stand on their own, Rathnayake said. “We request the Indian government to put an end to this,” the Minister said. (Islandnews)
