Fishing in the Troubled Water: Media Framing of the Human Rights Violations at Palk Bay

C. J. RAVI KRISHNAN & C. PICHAANDY
VLB Janakiammal Arts and Science College, India

Abstract
This study aims at appropriating the social and print media construct and coverage of human rights violations in the post Eelam war between Indian Tamil fishermen and their conflict with Sri Lankan Navy in the Palk Bay. The alleged intrusion of the Indian trawlers into the Sri Lankan water and the rebuttal by Sri Lankan Navy leading to the torture, arrest and at times, death of Indian fishermen is being widely articulated and debated in Indian and foreign media. An attempt has been made here using the framing theory to investigate how human rights violations were constructed in Indian print media (Dinamani and The Hindu) and socials media (Twitter).

Keywords: Palk Bay, Indian fishermen, Sri Lanka, human rights, LTTE

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C. J. Ravi Krishnan is an assistant professor at VLB Janakiammal Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. His specialization is peace and conflict with reference to the Tamil Nadu fishermen and Sri Lanakan Navy conflict.
Dr. Chinnaswamy Pichandy is a former professor and head of the Department of Journalism and Mass communication at PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.