Not releasing fishermen may affect Indo-Lanka ties
Saturday, 24 August 2013 00:00
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Outlook India: Asking Sri Lanka to deal with the issue of release of Indian fishermen on a humanitarian basis, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said it could cast a shadow on relations between the two countries.
Responding to a calling attention motion regarding repeated attacks on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, Khurshid said 106 Indian fishermen were currently in Sri Lankan custody and said there should be a humanitarian solution to the issue and that the Government has been taking it up strongly with them.
“Issues that must be resolved and issues that mean a lot emotionally, politically and socially to our people are issues resolving which would help our relationship with them.
“And if these issues are not resolved, it is inevitable that they will cast a pawn, a shadow upon what we have been trying to do,” Khurshid said.
Making a statement on the issue, he said, the Government attached highest importance to the safety, security and welfare of Indian fishermen.
“Both countries agreed that use of force could not be justified under any circumstances, and reiterated in this regard the importance of extending humane treatment to all fishermen,” he said.
Khurshid said effective steps are being taken to address the issue of early release of 106 Indian fishermen currently in Sri Lankan custody.
He said quasi-judicial proceedings are being taken to ensure their early release and admitted that elections in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka had delayed their release as there was pressure to act against fishermen of other countries.
He also suggested a joint meeting of fishermen to both sides to resolve the issue and said the same is being worked out with the help of the Sri Lankan Government.
Khurshid said the number of incidents of Indian fishermen taken into captivity or attacked by Sri Lankan forces has come down drastically after an agreement between both countries.
“Today, sadly 106 Indian fishermen remain in their custody. There is rising of temperature because there are elections in the Northern Province. We have said that despite the fact that there are elections, this should not be influenced by normal tendencies that take over political parties at the time of elections. The pressure to act against fishermen of other countries has become greater,” Khurshid said.
Stating that no Sri Lankan fisherman was in the custody of India, the External Affairs Minister said: “This is not a sign of weakness. This is a sign of fairness. This is a sign of our insistence that states must treat each other in this manner and not bargain against the lives of individuals.”
He said that after advice through counselling, Indian fishermen have refused to plead guilty as the “impact of that information being used against India” is there.
“There must be another manner and that must be a humanitarian solution,” Khurshid said.
He said India has gone a long distance in helping internally displaced persons in Sri Lanka and lauded the outstanding work done by the Indian Government there.
“We want to be able to continue that work. We want to be able to continue towards peace and rehabilitation in Sri Lanka and it is important that there should be greater convergence between us for us to be able to help them,” he said.
Khurshid said India puts very strong emphasis in its conversations with Sri Lanka and they understand importance of this issue as they also watch what steps are taken in Parliament and listen to the words that are said.
Stating that in a recent meeting with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Khurshid said he had taken up the case of expeditious release of fishermen and both sides had agreed that the use of force could not be justified and that humane treatment be given to the arrested fishermen.
