DESPITE ATTEMPTED ATOGONISM AGAINST SRI LANKA BY THE LTTE
KIND TAMIL NADU FISHERMEN RESCUED SIX SINHALESE FISHERMEN

By Walter Jayawardhana

Despite the attempted antagonism by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) against Sri Lanka’s Navy and the country among the Tamil Nadu fishermen, they returned the kindness shown to them by the Sri Lanka Navy on previous occasions and rescued six Sinhalese fishermen drifting in the Bay of Bengal in a failed mechanized boat.

The six Sinhalese were found drifting on a non-working fishing boat named, “Kaveesha Putha-Kottegoda”in the Bay of Bengal about four kilometers off from Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore coast and happily rescued by the Thevanampattinam fishermen, during the night of Sunday April 1.

The Trincomalee based Southern fishermen went to the deep seas three days before they were rescued, but got stuck when the engine of the boat failed in the mid sea. First they hoisted a white flag. Using the little English they learned in the elementary school on a thermocol sheet using black sticker they made a sign that said, “help pleis” and put it up for people to see. In addition they waved at the local fishermen who finally rescued them.

On Monday authorities gave permission to berth their boat on which it was inscribed “"Sri Lanka TR 743, Ceylon Fishing Harbour Corporation-IMUL-A-0565 MTR," to be berthed at the Cuddalore Port.

But the Sinhalese fishermen, J.Nizath Chamira (17), H.W.Kasun Rasange (21), Anathuge Rajesh Thusani (29), G.M.W.Dhanisth Mandarae (22), Sameera Rangei (20), and M.M.Amila Manoj Prasad (21), had to be taken to the Cuddalore Port Police station for interrogation. The Police questioned them.

They also went through everything they had in the boat. But they said the Tamil Nadu fishermen were simply astounded by the five kilometer fishing net they possessed and the boat’s capacity to carry 4000 kilograms of ice blocks. True they had to be booked for entering the country without valid papers. But the Police said they did no wrong since their boat lost direction due to mechanical failure. So, most probably the young daring fishermen will be coming home very soon with kind memories of the Tamil Nadu fishermen who rescued them and saved their lives.

It was certainly good karma working for the Sinhalese fishermen. On many times before the Sri Lanka Navy has helped Tamil Nadu fishermen in distress. Assistance given to the Indian fishing trawler RMS 94 on October 24 2006 off karainagar and assistance given to Indian fishing boat in distress off Thondamannar on 24 November 2006 were only two such recent incidents. Even in this space age the old karma still works like a clock of precision, they say.