The Madras High Court on Friday asked the Centre to deploy within 10 days sufficient number of Coast Guard vessels to ensure that Indian fishermen, particularly from Tamil Nadu, are not subjected to alleged atrocities.
The interim order was passed by a division bench of justices K N Basha and M Venugopal after admitting a petition filed by B Stalin, an advocate.
The judges said the direction was in view of the serious apprehension, expressed by the counsel for the petitioner, to the effect that there was serious threat to the life, security and livelihood of the Indian fishermen, due to the alleged acts of the Sri Lankan Navy.
"It is needless to state that unless the Indian fishermen were able to exercise their right to fishing, it is inherently impossible for them to survive, as they are solely depending on only avocation of fishing," the court said.
"Any threat to their life and security in exercising their right of fishing would ultimately infringe their fundamental right to livelihood enshrined in the Constitution. It is also pertinent to note that the main prayer of the petitioner is for a direction to the respondents to provide naval ships, all along the Indo-Sri Lanka oceanic borders separating Indian and Lankan waters and further provide air force cover to the Tamil fishermen between the international waters of India and Sri Lanka and lastly to provide Coast Guard personnel on the vessels, yacht, steamers and boats to accompany the Tamil fishermen who ventured out to fish," the court said. (PTI)
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=37025
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