MADURAI: Fishermen from Rameswaram, who went fishing in mechanised boats on Saturday, were allegedly attacked by the Sri Lankan Navy near the international maritime boundary line (IMBL) when they tried to sail to the Gulf of Kutch.
The affected fishermen claimed that the Sri Lankan navy personnel attacked them with stones and bottles and also cut their fishing nets.
Fishermen from Rameswaram did not venture into the sea for two weeks until Friday due to the rough sea warning.
On Saturday, nearly 2,500 fishermen went fishing in 500 mechanised boats for their routine day-long work.
The attack came to light when the fishermen returned on Sunday morning.
They claimed that the navy personnel came in 10 sophisticated patrol boats, threatened them and hurled stones and bottles at them.
One of the affected fishermen Emerit said that the Lankan Navy personnel also cut the nets of some boats. Fearing the attack, many fishermen cut their nets themselves and fled while some abandoned their nets to collect them later.
It is learnt that the Navy personnel did not arrest the fishermen and chased them fearing Covid-19 spread.
They have also asked Lankan fishermen not to cross the IMBL and enter Indian waters or have any contact with fishermen from India, fearing spread of the virus.
PMK leader S Ramdoss condemned the attack on the Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy.
"Attacks on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy had decreased considerably in the past few months, but now it is causing concern as they had chased the fishermen by pointing guns at them," he stated in a statement issued on Sunday.
The Indian government should ensure that the Indian fishermen fish peacefully in the Bay of Bengal without having to live in perpetual fear. This would affect their livelihood, he added.