MADURAI: A public interest writ petition has been filed in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking a ban on international cricket matches between India and Sri Lanka until all disputes between the two nations are resolved.“Every time the Indian team wins a match against the Lankan side, innocent Tamil fishermen are subjected to assault,” claimed Madurai-based advocate S Calvin Christopher, the petitioner. He sought directions to the Union Sports Ministry, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the External Affairs Ministry to cancel all international matches scheduled between India and Sri Lanka.Flaying the State government for ‘splurging’ on cricketers after the 2011 World Cup, the petitioner said the compensation given to the families of mid-sea attacks was “deplorable”.While the State spent `3 crore on the World Cup-winning team, the families of fishermen who lost their lives in the attacks that came as a backlash to Sri Lanka’s defeat in the finals, were given below `3 lakh as compensation, Calvin said.According to Calvin’s counsel W Peter Ramesh Kumar, the Sri Lankan Navy assaulted four Tamil fishermen with cricket bats “resenting” India’s victory against Lanka in the World Cup Final, resulting in their deaths. Similarly, after India defeated Lanka in the recently-concluded triangular series at Australia, at least 20 Indian fishing boats were destroyed on March 14 this year, Peter added.Subsequent to Lanka’s defeat in the Asia Cup match, petrol bombs were also hurled at Tamil fishermen within Indian territory, leaving several fishermen injured, he said.
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