Foreign Secretary to discuss fishermen killing issue with Colombo
In the series of actions against fisherman Nirupama Rao Foreign Secretary will travel to Colombo on Saturday to discuss with the Sri Lankan government the killing of Indian fishermen in the past one month allegedly by its navy.
A fisherman was killed and two others were injured while fishing off Kodiakarai coast on January 22. The man, who had put out to sea with two others from Pushpavanam coastal hamlet, died after Sri Lankan Naval personnel allegedly tied a rope around his neck and pushed him into the water, fisheries department sources said.
According to sources on Friday, “External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna has asked the Foreign Secretary to go to Sri Lanka tomorrow to discuss the killing of Indian fishermen with the government there.”
Taking the incident very seriously, India has already reacted very strongly to the incidents in which two Indian fishermen were killed in the span of one month, notwithstanding Sri Lankan government’s claim that its navy was not involved.
Maring the incidents as “very serious” and “unacceptable”, India has said that such incidents have no “justification” and called on Sri Lankan authorities to “desist” from the use of force.
