A delegation of BJP National Human Rights Cell under the leadership of national president Shri Nitin Gadkari met the chairperson of National Human Rights Commission, Justice (retd) KG Balakrishnan, in New Delhi on March 4 and filed a complaint about the violation of human rights of innocent Indian fishermen who are being killed by the Sri Lankan Navy. More than 500 Tamil fishermen have been killed by the Sri Lankan Navy during the recent years.
The delegation included national secretary and in-charge of Tamil Nadu and Fishermen Cell Shri P Muralidhar Rao, State president of Tamil Nadu Shri P Radhakrishnan, MP Shri Avinash Rai Khanna, national convener of Human Rights Cell Shri Sudhir Aggarwal and advocate Shri Aman Sinha.
In the complaint, the party specifically mentioned that more than 500 fishermen have been shot dead by the Lankan navy during the last three decades. “Thousands have been tortured, harassed, and abused. The catches of these hapless fishermen are invariably seized away and their boats and nets are destroyed. Many fishermen have been arrested and detained illegally and many of them are still rotting in Lankan jails in inhuman conditions. In fact the attacks have increased over the past few years. Two barbaric killings of innocent fishermen have also been reported recently,” the complaint said.
In the complaint the party criticised the behaviour of the Government of India and alleged that the Government has a callous attitude towards the sufferings of the downtrodden and hapless Indian people. A group of the party leaders has already visited the affected areas, met their families and learnt the plight of these downtrodden families who need immediate help and support. After experiencing their pain and plight the party in public interest drew the attention of the supreme body for protection of human rights, for protecting the human rights and lives of the innocent fishermen.
The delegation appealed to the Commission to enquire from the State government as to why no chargesheet has been filed in this case or why no person has so far been prosecuted in these incidents. The Commission should direct the Union Government to reactivate the Indo Sri Lankan Joint Working Group (JWG) on Fishing, which is at present non-functional.
(FOC)
