In an unprecedented move, Sri Lankan authorities sold 135 boats belonging to Tamil Nadu fishermen to the highest bidder in an auction that took place earlier today in Jaffna.
The sale yielded more than five million Sri Lankan rupees to the authorities with 1.6 million paid on the spot. The winner of the auction is supposed to pay the remainder in instalments.
The legality of the sale is questionable as the boats were confiscated from Tamil Nadu fishermen based on allegations that they crossed the maritime boundary between India and Sri Lanka whilst fishing.
It is alleged that they crossed the border into the Karainagar area of Jaffna, where the auction took place this morning.
Officials from the Sri Lankan Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Department arrived in Jaffna from Colombo to supervise the auction.
The bidding ended at 2 PM local time when all 135 boats were auctioned off to a total sum of five million rupees, with a particular boat fetching 1.3 million rupees on its own.
This comes as a shock for Tamil Nadu fishermen, a large majority of whom are indigent and rely on their fishing boats for a modest income.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin has written a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to “intervene” in the issue. The Indian government has yet to respond to Stalin’s plea.
