By Shenali D Waduge
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned they say
and that aptly puts to context the feelings of Jayalalitha towards
Sri Lanka. But, the BJP high powered delegation led by Dr.
Subramaniam Swamy who arrived in Sri Lanka at the invitation of the
Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies recently made
explicitly clear that Tamil Nadu would not come between Indo-Lanka
relations and also thanked the Sri Lankan President for arresting
but releasing the Indian fishermen while confiscating the boats. It
was the boat owners that forced the Indian fishermen to poach into
Sri Lankan waters because the Indian side had no fish. These are
some realities that the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu cannot ignore
and her tantrums are dampening the otherwise positive outlook of the
Modi-led BJP Government. She should be advised to stop her tantrums
and start looking at how the Indian fishermen can be absorbed into a
new avenue of livelihood if there are no fish to fish in Indian
waters.
The International Maritime Border Line drawn up in
1974 and 1976 is a bilateral agreement between India and Sri Lanka
and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister can cry and hoot but she cannot change
the legality of this agreement honored by the 2 sovereign nations.
Katchchetivu came under the jurisdiction of Sri
Lanka following the IMBL and Sri Lanka's claim to Katchchaitivu was
made in 1924 while as far back as 1876 the island was referred to as
belonging to Sri Lanka even the colonial invaders regarded the
island as belonging to Sri Lanka.
Thus, with a bilateral agreement in place it is
Tamil Nadu fishermen who are violating the IMBL and the arrest of
fishermen poaching into Sri Lankan waters cannot be faulted on Sri
Lanka.
We realize that the issue at hand is as a result
of the Indian side of the marine bed affected as a result of
internationally banned bottom trawling. It is because commercial
fishing has ignored to look after the source from which it makes
money that there are no fish on Indian waters along the Tamil Nadu
coast. Sri Lanka is not to be blamed because there are no fish in
the Indian waters. The Tamil Nadu Government must take blame for
allowing internationally banned bottom trawlers to operate.
We are well aware that India had been making
millions from poaching into Sri Lankan waters using bottom trawlers
and stealing the shrimps, prawns and fish that ideally belong to the
fishermen of Sri Lanka. These poached fish calculated into years
would account for theft and loss of millions of revenue to Sri
Lanka. This cannot go on not just because it is a violation of
territorial rights, theft of fish that do not belong to India but
more importantly the manner of fishing will end up totally ruining
the marine environment and destroying marine life and eventually
lead to no fish on Sri Lankan waters as well.
The environmental impact and future of marine life
is what should take prominence in any diplomatic discussions.
The Tamil Nadu Government and its Chief Minister
should accept fault on several angles.
Tamil Nadu fishermen violating internationally
recognized IMBL and bilateral agreement between India and Sri Lanka
Tamil Nadu fishermen using bottom trawlers that
are internationally banned
Tamil Nadu coast marine bed destroyed because of
bottom trawling and so no fish for the Indian fishermen to fish
If the Indian coast had no fish as a result of the
Indian fishermen destroying the marine life, should the Tamil Nadu
authorities have taken measures to look into how the Indian
fishermen and their families would survive? The solution is not to
poach on waters that belong to other nations. It is not a long time
solution or a viable solution. It is as a result of Tamil Nadu
authorities not taking to account these realities that their
fishermen are facing a predicament of no livelihood and Sri Lanka
cannot be blamed for this.
Would Indian fishermen be allowed to poach in
territorial waters that belong to other nations just because the
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister comes out with a list of reasons giving
them right to?
The BJP Government is commended for taking a stand
and appreciated for approving the measures taken by Sri Lanka in
arresting and releasing the Indian fishermen but confiscating the
boats. Tamil Nadu seem to have forgotten that it is the Sri Lankan
Tamil fishermen whose livelihood was affected as a result of Tamil
Nadu fishermen poaching on Sri Lankan waters. The TNA ever ready to
find fault with the Sri Lankan Government has not come to the rescue
of its own fishermen or brought up the grievance of the Sri Lankan
fishermen denied livelihood and this speaks volumes of the sincerity
of the TNA towards its own people too.
With the latest letter of the Tamil Nadu Chief
Minister directed at demanding the release of the boats, we can but
wonder whether some of these may belong to her or her supporters!
When Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is aware that the
Tamil Nadu fishermen are violating internationally demarcated waters
and poaching while also using internationally banned bottom
trawlers, it is unjustified to ask the Indian Prime Minister to take
action against Sri Lanka. Obviously she is attempting to dent the
popularity of the Indian Prime Minister while also disturb the amity
that is being built between the two nations. Her actions are
obviously aligned to the undiplomatic and unscrupulous policies
followed by the Sonia-led Congress Government where the Central
Government of India was virtually kept strangulated and on a noose
by successive Tamil Nadu Governments.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister may learn sooner than
later that Narendra Modi is not a puppet to dance to her tantrums or
threats. She should not attempt to embarrass Mr. Modi by her
unjustified outbursts. It will not look good on the new Indian Prime
Minister if he were to demand that Indian fishermen be allowed to
cross the IMBL into Sri Lankan waters is this the mischief that
Jayalalitha is upto?
With the Modi mantra directed towards better and
practical governance it is best that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
directs her attention at how to meet the livelihood challenges of
Indian fishermen who have no fish to fish on Indian waters. Poaching
is not the solution.
