http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=Naval_attacks_on_Indian_Fishermen_20120330_02

Naval attacks on Indian fishermen: The ground realities (Opinion)

(By: Rohan Jayawardana)
"A leader leads by example, not by force" -Sun Tzu-
Those who keep a keen eye on the subject of repeated allegations
against the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) for harassing, killing, disappearing Indian
fishermen, damaging their vessels, sinking them and even looting valuable items
from their boats, have the liberty to see the recent allegations leveled by
various fishermen from Tamilnadu in two different lines; either these fishermen
are telling the truth or on the other hand the SLN is telling the truth by
repeatedly denying such allegations leveled at them.
One looking back at the critical periods where our waters were
endangered with the presence of LTTE sea elements, it was evident that such
allegations were not largely aimed at the SLN, but on the contrary we see an
increase in such during the past few months. With the end of humanitarian
operations in May 2009, SLN declared that the seas around her are safe and even
the Indian Ocean is secured and that no terror threat is present in the much
important maritime domain where large number of important Sea Lines of
Communications are present.
As many aspects changed with the military defeat of the LTTE
terrorists, the pattern and number of Indian trawlers entering into the SL
waters too accelerated. Due to various governing factors which run high in the
diplomatic and affairs that require sensible attention and handling, the gross
violation of Indian fishermen freely encroaching to the SL waters were either
ignored or not considered a serious issue. Due to the relationship that SL has
with India, strict application of barricades, regulations etc. were not even
considered.
Even to date those conditions are in force and I'm sure the
naval personnel have been issued with clear and specific instructions to adhere
to a professional methodology when encountering Indian fishermen. We all
understand that strict discipline is the foundation where military forces are
built upon in order to accomplish excellence and professional standards. The SLN
in this regard will have no exception and it is very clear that, they have
become one of the most outstanding naval forces in the world today. When others
compare the size of the force with available ships, cadre, technology etc. to
consider as a formidable force, SLN with available resources and maximum
utilization of the human element proved to the world that they can match the
might of the oceans when it comes to real time scenarios.
The reason why I went on elaborating the professional standard
and conduct of the Navy especially during height of the war and especially
during the last crucial phaseis nothing but to think twice on leveling such
allegations at SLN. Let's ask these following questions;
a. If the SLN really wants to kill and destroy the Indian
fishing boats illegally entering the SL waters, do they need to do it in a way
that evidences are left?
b. Why would the naval personnel carry out all such alleged
attacks only off Kachchathivu?
c. Why would the naval personnel assist Indian fishermen when
they are stranded in SL waters?
d. Why would the naval personnel render assistance to those who
are found ill and injured out at sea?
e. Why would the naval personnel damage the fishing trawlers,
their gears, loot valuable equipment and send them back knowing the fact that
they are going to report such to authorities back home?
f. Why should the naval units violate international laws and
enter into Indian waters when the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy is
patrolling?
A force that has the reputation for defeating the most ruthless
terror out fit and importantly the only terror organization which had the
organized maritime component under their disposal to launch suicide attacks need
not to do such acts leaving evidences behind. If the Navy wants to do what it
has been alleged of doing for the last many years, I'm sure they would have done
without leaving a single trace behind and no one will even know such an incident
has even occurred. Yet, despite all the above questions a lament can ask; Navy
stands tall in the region as well as in the world of what they are best known
for "The Masters of Asymmetric Warfare".
Knowing the importance of safeguarding the hard earned
reputation, naval personnel for my understanding have been acting with maximum
restraint in all such encounters knowing that the Indian fishermen are
intentionally entering into waters as for the guidance and instructions that are
been passed down the line by various influential organizations, individuals in
Tamil Nadu. It is true to say that certain Indian officials when they were shown
the images of Indian trawlers that are in the SL waters' they used to question
back saying "how can you be so sure that they in your waters?", in another
occasion when the Radar pictures of such trawler presence at large number were
shown, they have asked "how can you exactly tell that these are Indian trawlers?
Why can't they be anything else?"
If one thinks that the Indian officials are not aware of
poaching by their fishermen, it will be a very interesting story for those who
perform in 'Comedy', shows. When it comes to ground reality, Indians have taken
the might over the right of Sri Lankans. The Indian officials who have one of
the best surveillance equipment and satellite technology will know for
themselves of the grave situation. The SL officials do not require forwarding
them those Radar pictures, as they are well informed and the trawling patterns
are well observed. Despite the political influence in Tamil Nadu, there are
elements that encourage innocent fishermen to enter into SL waters and engage in
illegal fishing as and when they want.
It is very interesting to see why most of those alleged attacks
take place mainly in Kachchthivu area. Those who know the diplomatic struggle we
had to claim the right of this tiny Island, despite historical inheritance of
the same, certain extremists elements in India still thinks that Kachchathivu
belongs to India and they have the right to fish in so called historical fishing
grounds by forcefully entering into SL territorial waters.
I'm sure all the Indian Trawlers that does poaching in the
northern waters of Sri Lanka are well taught to highlight the Kachchathivu
island area when leveling such allegations at large. Those who attended the
Kachchathivu St. Anthony's feast recently bear witness to the arrangements that
were in place for the benefit of the same fishermen that alleged the SLN of
killing and harassing them. If the SLN is so extreme in their approach towards
the Indian fishermen, they would have rendered minimal assistance to this
festival as well to the Indian fishing community and other devotees at large.
Apart from this very fact, naval personnel rendered maximum possible assistance
to successfully complete the event going even beyond their mandate.
Looking at past allegations leveled at the SLN, one can see few
important chapters folding before our eyes. It is sad to see that all such
fabrications are done merely due to the political agenda of the Tamil Nadu. When
incidents of significance are happening in the international or domestic forum
having an impact on Sri Lanka, one can always see that the Tamil Nadu
politicians taking the stumpy approach of blaming the Navy of killing or
injuring Indian fishermen.
To date all these allegations have been based purely on
barefaced fabricated stories. No solid evidence has been put forward in any
single case. The surprising fact is that when these fishermen are equipped with
communication equipment which has the capability to contact both the Indian
Coast Guard and even fisheries monitoring centers in the Tamil Nadu coastal belt
have failed to promptly report such pestering by the SLN as and when they occur.
I'm sure even the mobile phones do the needful in such a situation.
Why do they (Indian fishermen) keep silent if they are attacked
in such a brutal means? Why do they keep silent when their boats are sunken or
even attacked using so called petrol bombs? The answers for these questions for
sure are well known by the low-slung politicians in Tamil Nadu and the fishermen
that are motivated to enter into SL waters at any cost.
We have all seen the interest the Indian government showed in
the case of the recently adopted US backed Human Rights resolution. Plentiful
has been talked about the Indian standpoint. Even though it is not my intention
here to discuss the adopted resolution, I must mention that if India is so
concerned about the so called 'Human Rights abuses in Sri Lanka', they need to
take a very serious look at the violations that are been conducted by their own
fishermen by forcefully entering into SL waters and thereby taking away all the
fish, prawns, crabs in our waters. By doing this they are not only taking away
the rights of the Sri Lankan fishermen, but they also damage the unique marine
environment in the area. While they have banned bottom trawling in their waters,
they encourage trawlers to use all those banned methods in our waters.
It is astounding to see how a powerful nation like India who
stand tall for so called human rights in the region keep such a blind eye on
this issue. This shows India is least bothered about this matter and they have
no real intention of stopping their trawlers encroaching into SL waters. Beside
this very fact it is true to say that they encourage these fishermen to freely
enter into SL waters regardless of the presence of Indian Coast Guard and SLN.
In simple terms this is a mere show of aggression on the sovereignty of Sri
Lanka. Where does the Indian moral and code of ethics stand now?
Another fact to prove that India has no intention at all to stop
their fishermen entering into our waters is the example in the Gujarat coast.
When Indian fishermen enter into Pakistan waters, they are held captive
sometimes for twenty to thirty years. Same applies to the Pakistani fishermen
who enter into Indian waters. To solve this issue, the Indians introduced a no
fishing zone of five nautical miles on either side of the maritime boundary line
between the two countries. This has been very effective with the constant
surveillance/patrol of Indian Coast Guard.
This clearly illustrates the bottom line of the issue; if India
really wants, India can stop their fishermen poaching in our waters. Knowing the
level of tolerance by the Sri Lankans, Indians have taken the might to dictate
terms. So it's very clear that India keeps a blind eye to this issue and further
encourages the fishing community to reach as deep as they could into SL waters.
One would think that the Indian government may even move an act to justify
poaching by their fishermen in Sri Lanka's territorial waters saying that they
have worked in line with their stand as they said during the US backed Human
Rights resolution.
In order to get a story and to make the background for such a
claim, these fishermen have been tasked and instructed to throw allegations at
SLN so that they can persuade a special commission or even ask the international
community to involve in these so called harassments carried out by the SLN.
It will be true to say that Sri Lanka and SLN have been
tolerating poaching by Indians for years. India and importantly politicians in
Tamil Nadu needs to realize that leveling allegations at the SLN will not serve
this purpose. It's high time that India stop this intentional aggression
conducted using fishermen as a tool. Apart from this very fact, India need to
pay serious attention to the destruction that is been done by the Indian
fishermen to the distinctive marine environment in the area and to the lively
hood of Sri Lankan fishermen who barely survives with the increasingly degrading
fish catch.
The SLN has acted over the years with great deal of
professionalism when it comes to issues at sea. For this mere reason, SLN has
been once named even as the "Only Operational Navy in the World", considering
its unimaginable fighting capabilities which not only exercised in the
territorial seas but also in high seas with minimum assets in hand. A country
like India in this case needs to be more responsible rather than let the fishing
issue escalate.
I'm certain the SLN hierarchy will never ever hesitate to deal
with firm disciplinary measures if a single sailor is found in any of the wrong
doings. Despite this very assurance from the SLN, India needs to sit and at
least thinknow and instrument a much wanted "no fishing zone" at least of a
three nautical miles on either side of the International Maritime Boundary Line
without playing the blame game on SLN. In this outset, it will be wise India to
think twice on the famous saying "A leader Leads by Example, not by Force".