Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Member of Parliament Namal Rajapaksa has strongly condemned the assault of a Sri Lankan fisherman in Tamil Nadu, describing the incident as “deeply alarming” and calling for urgent government intervention.
Rajapaksa said the fisherman was attacked by Tamil Nadu fishermen in the presence of local police, in a statement posted on the platform X carried by Newswire. He urged Sri Lankan authorities to ensure the fisherman’s immediate safety and his swift return home.
“This incident also underscores the urgent need for stronger border control measures to better protect our fishermen from the Northern Province,” Rajapaksa said.
The MP further accused Tamil Nadu politicians of “exploiting Sri Lankan Tamil issues for political gain while remaining silent” when Sri Lankan fishermen are attacked on Tamil Nadu soil.
The Palk Strait between northern Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu is one of South Asia’s most contested maritime fishing zones, with regular flashpoints involving Indian trawler incursions and Sri Lankan Navy interceptions. The Sri Lanka Navy has arrested Indian fishermen on multiple occasions this month, including 10 fishermen on April 9 and 12 fishermen near Jaffna on April 12. Earlier in the month, four Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested in Mannar for crossing the maritime boundary during a fishing ban.
Detailed circumstances of the assault — including the location, the fisherman’s identity and the presence or otherwise of Sri Lankan diplomatic intervention — have not yet been disclosed by Sri Lankan authorities.
Fisheries, Aquatic, and Ocean Resources Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekhar followed Namal’s condemnation with his own statement on April 29, calling the incident “a grave violation of human rights” that “significantly undermines the mutual respect and trust shared between the two neighbouring nations.” Chandrasekhar said ensuring the safety and dignity of the public was “a fundamental responsibility of any country” and described the actions as “absolutely unacceptable.” He noted that although Indian fishermen have “long engaged in illegal fishing activities by trespassing into Sri Lankan territorial waters,” Sri Lankan fishermen had “often treated them with a sense of brotherhood and acted peacefully” — a contrast he said the Tamil Nadu side had failed to reciprocate.
The intervention by Chandrasekhar — a government minister rather than an opposition figure — broadens the political backing for diplomatic follow-up beyond the Rajapaksa-aligned SLPP.
