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Devananda calls for end to illegal fishing by Indians in Lankan waters
Sixty-nine Sri Lankan fishing boats are in Indian custody, Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda has said during a recent televised interview.Hundreds of Indian boats arrive in Sri Lankan waters and use destructive bottom trawling techniques in the territorial waters of Sri Lanka, the Minister said.
“They have destroyed all marine resources in the Indian territorial waters using these disastrous techniques and they are doing the same in our waters. This has been happening for a long time and things have gradually become worse. That is why our fishermen are protesting.”
Devananda said that during the war, Sri Lankan fishermen had not been able to fish in certain parts of the country’s territorial waters. During our absence, Indian fishermen started poaching in our waters, he said.
“Now, our fishermen are back but the Indians are not stopping. They are extracting our resources. The war ended 15 years ago, and we have still not been able to solve this. This is partially our fault. We have not taken up this issue forcefully. We must tackle this issue legally and diplomatically,” he said. Sri Lanka has banned bottom trawling in 2017/18 and the Fisheries (Regulation of Foreign Fishing Boats) Act of 2018, Sri Lanka has a number of tools it can use to tackle poaching by Indian fishermen.
“We now arrest and jail owners and skippers of Indian boats. There are five Indian skippers in Sri Lankan jails now. The Tamil Nadu Minister of Fisheries spoke to me on the phone recently and asked me to come there for discussions to solve the fishermen’s issues. I said I will come if you stop your fishermen coming this way. He agreed.
I also spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Stalin and he also agreed to stop Indian fishermen coming this way. This is election time in Tamil Nadu. Once the elections are over, we can start negotiations,” he said. Devananda said he spoke to President Ranil Wickremesinghe almost on a daily basis and urged the latter to deploy the Navy to chase away Indian fishermen. The President had also given instructions to the Navy, but the scale of our response is inadequate, he said.
Tamil MPs visited India often and they met the Indian High Commissioner and his deputies here, Devananda said, adding that they hardly talked about the issues faced by Sri Lankan fishermen with Indian officials, he said.”Earlier, Tamil Nadu asked me to allow Indian fishermen to use Sri Lankan waters for two years. I said that could not be done.
The Indians arrive in hundreds of boats and they can cause irreparable damage in a single day. The 1974 and 1976 agreements, taken together with the Exchange of Letters, were signed between Kewal Singh, the then Foreign Secretary to the Government of India, and W.T. Jayasinghe, then Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, has put the question of fishing rights beyond doubt.
Paragraph 1 of the Exchange of Letters very clearly rules out any fishing rights for the fishermen of the two States in the waters of the other State which reads as follows; “fishing vessels and fishermen of India shall not engage in fishing in the historic waters, the territorial sea and the EEZ of Sri Lanka, nor shall the fishing vessels and fishermen of Sri Lanka engage in fishing in the historic waters, the territorial sea and the EEZ of India, without the express permission of Sri Lanka or India, as the case may be.”
While Indians lost access to Sri Lankan waters, local fishermen lost access to Pedro Bank, and Wadge Bank, the continental shelves off Cape Comorin at the southern tip of India, which had been profitable commercial fishing grounds since the 1920s for both Indian and Sri Lankan boats.
Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi departed today (06) from Air Force Base Anuradhapura concluding his State visit to Sri Lanka. The Indian Premier embarked on a tour to Sri Lanka at the invitation from President Anura Kumara Disanayake.
This visit underscores the enduring relationship encapsulated by the theme “Friendship of Centuries, Commitment to a Prosperous Future,” further solidifying the bonds between India and Sri Lanka.
This marks Prime Minister Modi’s fourth visit to Sri Lanka, which has further enhanced the economic, cultural, and historical relations between the two nations, while also reinforcing their multifaceted partnership. This visit by the Indian Prime Minister reinforces Sri Lanka’s important role in India’s “Neighbourhood First Policy” and ‘MAHASAGAR’ vision concerning diplomatic relations.
This state visit is anticipated to yield significant results on various collaborative initiatives, fostering a path towards mutual growth and development. The citizens of Sri Lanka will soon be able to witness the fruitful outcomes of these partnerships, and Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit will mark a significant milestone in the government’s pursuit of sustainable development focused on the needs of the people.
Accompanying Indian Prime Minister Modi were Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and a delegation of senior officials from the Indian government.
[PMD]
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President Dissanayake and Indian PM Modi jointly commission upgraded Maho-Omanthai railway line & Maho-Anuradhapura railway signalling system
The upgraded Maho–Omanthai railway line and the newly installed Maho–Anuradhapura railway signalling system were officially commissioned by Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and President Anura Kumara Disanayake today (06)
The Prime Minister of India is currently visiting Sri Lanka at the invitation of President Anura Kumara Disanayake, reinforcing the longstanding bond encapsulated in the theme “Friendship of Centuries Commitment to a Prosperous Future” between the two nations.
Highlighting one of the key aspects of this visit, the two leaders participated in these inaugural ceremonies. The President and the Prime Minister of India jointly unveiled the commemorative plaque and commissioned the railway line and signalling system.
The upgraded Maho-Omanthai Railway Line project was carried out with funding through the Indian Credit Line, totalling an investment of US$ 91.27 million. The Maho–Anuradhapura railway signalling system, established as a result of President Disanayake’s recent visit to India, was funded by the Indian Government at a cost of USD 14.89 million.
[PMD]
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Prime Minister Modi and President Dissanayake pay homage to the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi
Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, currently on a State visit to Sri Lanka, along with President Anura Kumara Disanayake paid homage to the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura this morning (06) and received blessings.
Following his visit to the sacred site, Prime Minister Modi proceeded to the Udamaluwa, where he met with the Chief Incumbent of the Atamasthanadhipathi and Chief Sanghanayake of Nuwarakalaviya, Most Venerable Dr. Pallegama Hemarathana Nayaka Thera, for a cordial discussion.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister shared that relics of the Buddha were discovered in excavations conducted in his home state of Gujarat during the 1960s. He further stated that he would discuss with the President of Sri Lanka the possibility of exhibiting these sacred relics in Sri Lanka.
Responding to a request made by the Atamasthanadhipathi to develop Bodh Gaya as a spiritual city, Prime Minister Modi assured that he would take the necessary steps after discussions with President Disanayake and work towards making it a reality.
The Maha Sangha, led by the Atamasthanadhipathi, chanted Seth Pirith and invoked blessings on the Indian Prime Minister.
The Indian Prime Minister also left a commemorative note in the special guest book at the site. In addition, he formally declared open the newly constructed ‘Makara Thorana’ within the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi premises.
The occasion was also attended by Chief Incumbent of the Ruwanweli Maha Seya Temple Ven. Ethalawetunawewe Gnanathilaka Thera and other Atamasthana Viharadhipathi Theras, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath, Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, Wasantha Samarasinghe, Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, North Central Province Governor Wasantha Jinadasa, Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha and others.
[PMD]
Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi concludes State Visit to Sri Lanka
President Dissanayake and Indian PM Modi jointly commission upgraded Maho-Omanthai railway line & Maho-Anuradhapura railway signalling system
Prime Minister Modi and President Dissanayake pay homage to the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi
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