2ND LEAD (DETAILS, UPDATE)

Sri Lanka Navy attacks TamilNadu fishermen

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 January 2008, 19:38 GMT]
A TamilNadu fisherman was injured and his boat damaged when Sri Lankan naval personnel fired 'indiscriminately' at his boat fishing between Kadchatheevu and Thalaimannaar on Saturday, official sources said.

The fisherman, Segar, 45, from Mallikai Nakar, suffered serious bullet injures on his right shoulder when a patrolling vehicle of the SLN open fire at his boat. Three others who were with him, Sagayaraj, 36, Selvam, 24, and Ganesan, 18, managed to escape by ducking in the boat and they later brought him to shore.

Segar, who was admitted to the local Ramanathapuram Government Hospital has now been moved to the better-equipped Madurai Government Hospital after it was found that the bullet had moved to his chest.

Around 600 fishing boats were engaged in fishing in the Indian seas. A large naval vessel approached the area and opened fire on the fishing boat, the sources added.

Since 1983, more than 300 TamilNadu fishermen have been attacked and killed by the Sri Lanka Navy. It has been a long-pending demand of TamilNadu politicians that India should take the island of Kadchatheevu on perpetual lease so that the lives and livelihood of Indian fishermen are protected.