Chennai:
Soon after casting their votes for the Presidential election, DMK MPs from the state went into a huddle. The leaders put together a joint memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister on the firing by the US Naval Ship near the Jabel Ali Port in Dubai three days ago, in which 1 fisherman from Tamil Nadu was killed and 3 others were seriously injured.
The memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister highlights the plight of the families of the victims from Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram district. "The four poor and innocent victims had gone to Dubai, leaving behind their homes in India, in search of a decent livelihood and were working as daily wagers for Dubai fishing companies."
Expressing concern over the claim of US authorities "that the security staff in the ship was forced to open fire, the facts sifted from various reports clearly indicate that the firing by the warship Rappahannock was unprovoked and uncalled for."
In this context, the DMK has reminded the Prime Minister "that fishermen of Tamil Nadu, particularly those belonging to Ramanathapuram and Rameswaram, are not sure of safety to life when they go for fishing because of never-ending attacks by Sri Lankan navy." The MPs say there is "restlessness and a sense of desolation among the thousands of fishermen communities that live all along the 1100 km long coast line of Tamil Nadu. They look forward to an effective and lasting answer to their misery."
The memorandum underscores five distinct pleas to the Centre.
- Immediate bringing of the body of the victim Thiru Sekar to his house in Periyapattinam in Ramanathapuram.
- Proper medical treatment for the three injured fishermen Muniraj, Panpuvan and Murugan.
- Full compensation to the deceased and injured fishermen/ families to be paid by the US Administration and Dubai Companies/UAE Authorities immediately.
- Pending payment from the US Administration and Dubai Companies/ UAE Authorities, an interim payment and provision of employment to the kin of the deceased and injured fishermen by the Government of India.
- A Joint investigation by UAE & Indian Authorities into the matter.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had also issued a strongly worded statement along similar lines on Tuesday.