"Santhiya, the last person to have been shot (before Murugan) on June 2, died within half an hour of the incident and, according to their mother Moksham, his elder brother who was with him when it happened has yet to recover from the shock. “He was only 18. His brother is 26. After Santhiya’s death, his brother was ill from the shock for a very long time and is still too scared to go back fishing,” Moksham said."
by Ranjitha Gunasekaran
(October 08, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) The SAARC summit was just what Rameswaram’s fishermen wanted. “Sri Lanka assured our Prime Minister they would not fire on Indian fishermen and they have kept their word,” T Antony Raj, president, Verkode Mechanised Fishermen’s Association said on September 25. But he spoke too soon. Three days later, 35-year-old Murugan was shot dead while fishing with three others. Sri Lanka denied involvement but Rameswaram fishermen are united in their disbelief.
They are quite candid about where they go. Most fishermen, apparently, fish only in Sri Lankan waters. They claim that is their only chance of a good catch. “For at least 10 kilometres off the Indian coast, the ocean floor is rock. We need to cross Katchathivu before even casting our fishing nets,” said S P Royappan, president of the District Country Boat Fishermen Welfare Associa-tion. Both Anthony and Royappan say fishermen regularly go near Delft Island and even closer to the Sri Lankan coast to fish, claiming a traditional right over those waters. “Boundaries exist only for the military or the navy, not for fishermen and our fish,” they said. Others allege that they are regularly harassed by the Sri Lankan navy.
“They could arrest us if they felt it necessary, but the instinct to shoot is grounded in racism,” Royappan says. Other fishermen complain of other sorts of harassment, such as being forced to strip, or being beaten up regularly. Antren, the last fishermen to be shot (in the face), recalls the terror of facing the navy. The 26-year-old, who received compensation from the government recently, recalls that the navy fired warning shots and the boats immediately turned around. Then they took aim and fired, hitting him in the face. Antren has been beaten up by sailors at least three times so far, though he and his colleagues have been caught many more times. He is afraid but doesn’t have any choice but to go. The government solatium for the injured is Rs 50,000, but he spent more than Rs one lakh on treatment at a private hospital in Madurai. “Even after the SAARC summit, I know of people who have been beaten up and had their nets cut when fleeing,” he adds.
Santhiya, the last person to have been shot (before Murugan) on June 2, died within half an hour of the incident and, according to their mother Moksham, his elder brother who was with him when it happened has yet to recover from the shock. “He was only 18. His brother is 26. After Santhiya’s death, his brother was ill from the shock for a very long time and is still too scared to go back fishing,” Moksham said.
What the fisherfolk want and have petitioned for, is what most would consider the moon — the right, freedom and protection to fish in Sri Lankan waters without fear or restriction. “We want to be able to continue to fish the way we always have,” an elderly fisherman from Pamban said. - Sri Lanka Guardian
They are quite candid about where they go. Most fishermen, apparently, fish only in Sri Lankan waters. They claim that is their only chance of a good catch. “For at least 10 kilometres off the Indian coast, the ocean floor is rock. We need to cross Katchathivu before even casting our fishing nets,” said S P Royappan, president of the District Country Boat Fishermen Welfare Associa-tion. Both Anthony and Royappan say fishermen regularly go near Delft Island and even closer to the Sri Lankan coast to fish, claiming a traditional right over those waters. “Boundaries exist only for the military or the navy, not for fishermen and our fish,” they said. Others allege that they are regularly harassed by the Sri Lankan navy.
“They could arrest us if they felt it necessary, but the instinct to shoot is grounded in racism,” Royappan says. Other fishermen complain of other sorts of harassment, such as being forced to strip, or being beaten up regularly. Antren, the last fishermen to be shot (in the face), recalls the terror of facing the navy. The 26-year-old, who received compensation from the government recently, recalls that the navy fired warning shots and the boats immediately turned around. Then they took aim and fired, hitting him in the face. Antren has been beaten up by sailors at least three times so far, though he and his colleagues have been caught many more times. He is afraid but doesn’t have any choice but to go. The government solatium for the injured is Rs 50,000, but he spent more than Rs one lakh on treatment at a private hospital in Madurai. “Even after the SAARC summit, I know of people who have been beaten up and had their nets cut when fleeing,” he adds.
Santhiya, the last person to have been shot (before Murugan) on June 2, died within half an hour of the incident and, according to their mother Moksham, his elder brother who was with him when it happened has yet to recover from the shock. “He was only 18. His brother is 26. After Santhiya’s death, his brother was ill from the shock for a very long time and is still too scared to go back fishing,” Moksham said.
What the fisherfolk want and have petitioned for, is what most would consider the moon — the right, freedom and protection to fish in Sri Lankan waters without fear or restriction. “We want to be able to continue to fish the way we always have,” an elderly fisherman from Pamban said. - Sri Lanka Guardian
![](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2008/10/fishing-in-troubled-waters.html&media=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgug_ANPevkK3NbV27AjJgCtef2PaO3WELP1SVE70pjjK5a5Mit6k139wT5wIrTiOB4qcsnxMhLyCy4Hq3l2SvREK8oqyou71rh9umRUNhp-oj4caiZxWpTYeDjP87YmtWIvhE5FiV59b5U/s72-c/3oct_fish.jpg&description="Santhiya, the last person to have been shot (before Murugan) on June 2, died within half an hour of the incident and, according to the...){kind=link}
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