India protests Sri Lankan Navy's firing on fishermen in Palk Strait

New Delhi: After two fishermen from India were seriously injured in an incident of firing by the Sri Lankan Navy near Delft Island in the Palk Strait early on Tuesday, New Delhi lodged a strong protest against Colombo, demanding strict observance of existing understanding between the two governments and underlining that use of force was not acceptable.

The Sri Lankan Navy, however, termed the incident as “accidental firing” and claimed that it happened when the fishermen from India attempted to assault its personnel and tried to snatch the firearm of one of them. The Northern Naval Command of the Sri Lankan Navy stated that the “accidental firing” had caused “slight injuries” to two fishermen of India.

Priyanga Wickramasinghe, Sri Lanka’s acting High Commissioner to India, was summoned to the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), where the senior officials conveyed to her New Delhi’s strong protest over the firing by the island nation’s navy during the apprehension of 13 fishermen of India near the Delft Island in the early hours of the day. The High Commission of India in Colombo also raised the matter with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Sri Lankan government.

Out of the 13 fishermen who were on board the fishing vessel, two have sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. Three other fishermen received minor injuries and have been treated for the same, the MEA noted.

The officials of the Consulate General of India in Jaffna visited the injured fishermen at the hospital and enquired about their treatment.

“(The) Government of India has always emphasised the need to treat issues pertaining to fishermen in a humane and humanitarian manner, keeping in mind livelihood concerns,” New Delhi conveyed to Colombo. “The use of force is not acceptable under any circumstances whatsoever. Existing understandings between the two Governments in this regard must be strictly observed.”

The incident took place just a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar seeking diplomatic initiatives for the release of the state’s 34 fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) between the two nations.

The issue of fishermen of India being harassed and arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy had come up for discussion when Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted President Anura Kumar Dissanayake of the neighbouring Indian Ocean nation in New Delhi last month. They had agreed on the need to continue to address the issue in a humanitarian manner. They had also underscored the need to take measures to avoid any aggressive behaviour or violence, according to the joint statement issued after the meeting between the two leaders.

The Sri Lankan Navy had detained 240 Indian fishermen in 2023 for allegedly crossing the maritime boundary in pursuit of marine resources. It detained 535 fishermen from India in 2024 (till December 5, 2024), Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, informed the Rajya Sabha on December 12. The number of boats of Indian fishermen detained by the Sri Lankan Navy also went up from 35 in 2023 to 71 in 2024 (till December 5, 2024).

The Northern Naval Command of the Sri Lanka Navy issued a statement after the incident early on Tuesday. It claimed that an operation was launched after the Northern Naval Command observed a cluster of fishing boats from India in the Sri Lankan waters.

One of the Indian fishing boats, which continued to remain in Sri Lankan waters and engaged in illegal fishing activities, was seized. The Sri Lanka Navy boarding team had to conduct a noncompliance boarding as the Indian fishing boat manoeuvred aggressively and did not comply with lawful orders. The Indian fishermen acted confrontationally, attempting to assault naval personnel and snatching a firearm from a naval officer, endangering the lives of the naval team.

In the process, an accidental fire had occurred, causing slight injuries to two Indian fishermen.

The Sri Lankan Navy personnel provided initial first aid and transferred the injured fishermen to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, where their condition is reported to be stable. A complaint has been lodged with the Kankesanthurai Police regarding the incident, the navy of the island nation stated.