Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic, and Ocean Resources Ramalingam Chandrasekhar has strongly condemned the recent incident in which a Sri Lankan national was arrested and severely assaulted in India.

The Minister emphasised that such acts constitute a serious violation of human rights and significantly harm the mutual respect and trust between Sri Lanka and India. He highlighted that ensuring the safety and dignity of all citizens is a fundamental duty of any government, and actions of this nature are completely unacceptable.

Minister Chandrasekhar acknowledged that Indian fishermen have long engaged in illegal fishing within Sri Lankan waters. Despite this, Sri Lankan fishermen have consistently responded with brotherhood and peaceful conduct. 

He pointed out, however, that the illegal fishing activities of Indian fishermen have led to the exploitation of Sri Lanka’s marine resources, damaging the environment and threatening the livelihoods of local fishermen.

The Minister revealed that discussions have been held at various levels with senior Indian officials and fisheries authorities to address these issues. 

He stressed the importance of a joint program and strengthened cooperation between the two nations to curb illegal fishing.

Furthermore, Minister Chandrasekhar called for an immediate and impartial investigation into the assault and urged authorities to take legal action against those responsible. 

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to preventing such incidents in the future and emphasized that conflicts should be resolved through peaceful dialogue and mutual understanding.