Opinion
Illegal fishing by Tamil Nadu fishermen
I refer to your excellent editorial appearing in your issue of Feb. 2 on the above matter. As mentioned therein, this is a longstanding thorny issue between the Tamil Nadu government through its proxy New Delhi and the Government of Sri Lanka. There had been several discussions in the past on this issue between New Delhi and Colombo. Unfortunately on every such occasion the parties failed to arrive at a lasting solution although there is nothing called lasting solutions to ever evolving problems of the world, so to say. However, that should not demoralize us in our attempts at finding a just and practicable solution to this irritating problem that has, so far, evaded a satisfactory solution.
In the meanwhile the poaching goes on amidst sudden flare -ups between our Navy and the TN fishermen who are invading our territorial waters, undermining the livelihood of our Northern fishing folk. In this connection I wish to emphasize that during the times of our civil war, the TN people were brothers in arm with our Northern populace in waging war against our Government. But when they confront something that affects their own livelihoods, then they conveniently forget their camaraderie and go at each other’s throats.
That is food for thought. When our Navy attempt to prevent the illegal fishing in our waters by TN fishermen they clash with them disobeying warning to desist from invading our territorial waters. When in such clashes TN fishermen sustain injuries they make a big fuss about it and rush to New Delhi carrying their tales of woe. This is the pattern that has been long unfolding. Additionally they stage protests to pressurize New Delhi to take action against the Government of Sri Lanka. New Delhi, heavily dependent on TN Government support for political reasons invariably stricture our Government to handle this issue with restraint stressing humanitarian concerns.
But New Delhi does not take into consideration that TN fishermen’s actions badly affect the livelihoods of our own Northern fishing community. That is not their concern it seems. That is not an acceptable position. But when India react in this manner, the Sri Lankan Government has admittedly to submit to their requests or more precisely their demands. The fact is we are no match to India’s military might. This is akin to the law of the jungle – the strong bully the weak.
As you have rightly pointed out in your editorial, what if the boot is on the other foot? I wish to emphasize that India, our immediate neighbour and Big Brother, should ensure that TN fishermen don’t transgress the International Maritime Boundary accepted by all countries. If they don’t fall in line, their coast guard must enforce compliance. If that is done the problem will not recur and there will be no cause for displeasure or clashes between our Navy and TN fishermen.
I hope our Government emphasize this point when we have discussions with India in future with regard to this irritating issue.
KM Suraweera,
Veyangoda
The proposed expansion of the Kelani Valley railway line has prompted the squatters to demolish the buildings and the above photograph depicts the ad-hoc manner in which a building in the heart of Nugegoda town (No 39 Poorwarama Road) has been haphazardly demolished posing a risk to the general public. Residents say that the live electric wire has not been disconnected and the half-demolished structure is on the verge of collapse, causing inevitable fatal damages.
Over to the Railway Department, Kotte Municipality Ceylon Electricity Board and the Nugegoda Police.
Athula Ranasinghe,
Nugegoda.
On July 19, 1989, United Airlines Flight 232 departed Denver, Colorado for Chicago, Illinois. The forecast weather was fine. Unfortunately, engine no. 2 – the middle engine in the tail of the three-engined McDonnell Douglas DC 10 – suffered an explosive failure of the fan disk, resulting in all three hydraulic system lines to the aircraft’s control surfaces being severed. This rendered the DC-10 uncontrollable except by the highly unorthodox use of differential thrust on the remaining two serviceable engines mounted on the wings.
Consequently, the aircraft was forced to divert to Sioux City, Iowa to attempt an emergency crash landing. But the crew lost control at the last moment and the airplane crashed. Out of a total of 296 passengers and crew, 185 survived.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) declared after an investigation that besides the skill of the operating crew, one significant factor in the survival rate was that hospitals in proximity to the airport were experiencing a change of shifts and therefore able to co-opt the outgoing and incoming shift workers to take over the additional workload of attending to crash victims.
One wonders what would have happened if an overflying aircraft diverted to MRIA-Mattala, BIA-Colombo, Colombo International Airport Ratmalana (CIAR) or Palaly Airport, KKS during the doctors’ strike in the 24 hours starting March 12, 2025? Would the authorities have been able to cope? International airlines (over a hundred a day) are paying in dollars to overfly and file Sri Lankan airports as en route alternates (diversion airports).
Doctors in hospitals in the vicinity of the above-named international airports cannot be allowed to go on strike, and their services deemed essential. Even scheduled flights to those airports could be involved in an accident, with injured passengers at risk of not receiving prompt medical attention.
The civil aviation regulator in this country seems to be sitting fat, dumb, and happy, as we say in aviation.
Guwan Seeya
Plans to resurrect the Nanu Oya – Nuwara Eliya rail track are welcome. The magnificent views from the train have been described by H W Cave in his book The Ceylon Government Railway (1910):
‘The pass by which Nuwara Eliya is reached is one of the most exquisite things in Ceylon. In traversing its length, the line makes a further ascent of one thousand feet in six miles. The curves and windings necessary to accomplish this are the most intricate on the whole railway and frequently have a radius of only eighty feet. On the right side of the deep mountain gorge we ascend amongst the tea bushes of the Edinburgh estate, and at length emerge upon a road, which the line shares with the cart traffic for about a mile. In the depths of the defile flows the Nanuoya river, foaming amongst huge boulders of rock that have descended from the sides of the mountains, and bordered by tree ferns, innumerable and brilliant trees of the primeval forest which clothe the face of the heights. In this land of no seasons their stages of growth are denoted by the varying tints of scarlet, gold, crimson, sallow green, and most strikingly of all, a rich claret colour, the chief glory of the Keena tree’.
However, as in colonial times, the railway should be available for both tourists and locals so that splendid vista can be enjoyed by all.
Dr R P Fernando
Epsom,
UK
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