Tamil Nadu fishermen protest against killings by Lankan navy
By ANIThursday, January 27, 2011
NAGAPATTINAM - Thousands of fishermen staged a demonstration here on Thursday to protest against the recent killing of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy.
The activists of the fishermen community sat on the roads and blocked the traffic for several hours.
Ramakrishnan, a leader of Tamil Nadu Fishermen Battle Organization told reporters that the Central Government has constantly failed in providing security to their community.
“For the past 12 years we have been asking for our security as well as the security of our belongings but the Indian Government has failed to do so,” said Ramakrishnan.
The activists later raised slogans against the Sri Lankan Government demanding immediate action by the government to stop such incidents.
Ramakrishnan further warned that if the attacks are repeated, then the fishermen would go to war with the Sri Lankan navy.
“If the same type of attack repeated once again then we would be compelled to send 25,000 trained youth to wage a war on Sri Lanka,” said Ramakrishnan.
A fisherman from Tamil Nadu was killed on January 12 and another injured after the Sri Lankan navy opened fire on them at sea near the Tamil Nadu coast.
The fishermen belong to a village in Pudukottai, about 350 kilometres from Chennai. (ANI)