The Sri Lankan government’s move follows a travel advisory against visits to Tamil Nadu. Even as India assured that all measures would be taken for the safety of Sri Lankans, a group of pilgrims in Tamil Nadu faced protests for the second day
The Sri Lankan government is arranging a special plane on Tuesday to fly out visiting pilgrims following protests in Tamil Nadu even as India assured that all measures would be taken to ensure safety and security of Sri Lankans in the country. A spokesperson for the External Affairs Ministry said the Centre was in “close consultation” with the concerned state governments regarding this.
Sri Lanka Deputy High Commissioner R K M A Rajakaruna told PTI that the group would be leaving on Tuesday. “We get reports that some people follow the pilgrims group, intimidate, abuse and even attack them with stones,” he said.
The Sri Lankan government evaluated the situation as the people “appealed to us to arrange to send them back to Sri Lanka,” he said. “We thought it would be advisable to arrange their quick eviction from here,” the envoy said.
Meanwhile a batch of 178 Sri Lankan nationals on a pilgrimage in Tamil Nadu faced protests for the second day today with a pro-Tamil outfit trying to block their vehicles when they were returning after offering worship at the famous Velankanni shrine near Nagapattinam.
Police, however, intervened swiftly by arresting nine activists of the Naam Tamizhar Iyakkam with pro-LTTE leanings, who tried to block the seven buses carrying the pilgrims. The Lankan nationals faced similar protests during their pilgrimage to the Poondi Madha Christian shrine near Thanjavur on Monday.
The Indian government’s assurance follows the travel advisory issued by Sri Lanka asking its citizens not to visit Tamil Nadu until further notice in the wake of “increasing number of instances of intimidation” of Sri Lankans there.
“I wish to convey here that the Government of India, in close consultation with the concerned state governments, has taken and will continue to take all measures to ensure the safety, security and well-being of Sri Lankan dignitaries and visitors to India, including to Tamil Nadu,” an official spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs said when asked about the advisory by Sri Lanka.
The spokesperson also said, “In certain instances, it has been noticed that important visits have taken place without prior intimation to the concerned authorities.”
Emphasising that people-to-people contacts are an integral part of the close historical, cultural, ethnic and civilisational ties between India and Sri Lanka, he said, “Our High Commission in Colombo issued visas to nearly 200,000 Sri Lankan nationals to visit India last year, while approximately 175,000 Indian tourists visited Sri Lanka in 2011. “It is this perspective that guides all our actions on such matters.”
The Lankan travel advisory says, “the government of Sri Lanka regrets the increasing number of instances of intimidation of its nationals visiting Tamil Nadu for the purposes of tourism, religious pilgrimages, sporting and cultural activities and professional training.”
The government here is constrained to request Sri Lankan nationals in the interest of their security to desist from undertaking visits to Tamil Nadu until further notice, it said.
Keywords: India-Sri Lanka relations, Sri Lankan defence personnel training, Sri Lankan Tamils issue, ethnic conflict, Sri Lankan travel advisory, Tamil sentiments, Poondi Madha shrine, VCK protests
It is indeed a sad news to hear that the miscreants of our country had
stoned the Sri Lankan pilgrims. This democracy of ours has some
uncultured people who behaves like savages. Perhaps better education
and values inculcated may make changes. Any way India should remain as
a model of true democracy which is also a cultural aspect.
@shenali
I hope people and media highlight that the Indian government's policy
of pursuing the 'so-called national interests' has made a scapegoat of
both Tamils and Sinhalese. The Indian government has always been on
the wrong side of the moral divide; both when Tamils experience racial
torture and when supporting LTTE to kill innocents Sinhalese. Now
Rajapakse and Tamil politicians have taken over and innocent Tamil
fishermen and Sri Lankan tourists are the victims now. I think both
Tamil and Sri Lankan people have very valid reasons to blame the
Indian government and local politicians for all their plight, but I
hope they don't blame each other....
The photograph and the story don't really go well together, unless we're interesting
less in the specifics of the story and want, even as journalists, to participate in the
larger emotive politics. There is difference between government allowing troops from
a 'friendly' country to conduct defence exercises on its soil, and people from a
neighboring country visiting - as they usually do and did - for the purposes of
pilgrimage and travel. Lets try and retain that difference.
Why should India allow Sri Lankan army cadets to train in India when they massacred
tamil Indian immigrants who were in Sri Lanka a few years back?
@Rahul, Pls understand the issue correctly. People are agitating to highlight the Sinhalese atrocities against Tamils over there.. Innocent people have been killed in thousands and no one ask any question about that. Now people are talking about blocking of Sri Lankan nationals..Where all these people went when the Genocide happened in Sri Lanka..
SL already in favor of China..Recently it refused the Land asked by Indian Embassy and the same Land has been given to Chinese Military..SL has never been with us at any point of time. Only the Tamil always with India and India played very badly with their Lives and now its acting like Great Brother attitude..
India already de-valued the UNHR resolution in UN in favor of SL, even though it voted for it..Just because one Vengeance we can't loose the lives of lakhs of People over there.
Have anyone know how badly Tamils are getting treated at SL without any basic constitutional rights.. Have you talked about that ? Shame on you people..
As a Sri Lankan...I have just one question.
Is India ruled by the Central Government of Tamil Nadu... because more and more we are beginning to seriously wonder which woman is ruling India!
We know too well that for decades these TN politicos have been and continue to be on the payroll of those using a fictitious Eelam bid. All through this theatrical exercise of whining and moaning India simply watched though separation is taboo in India too...simply because it served India to use TN to pressure SL... how shameful can India be to harass Sri Lanka as it has done ..and PLEASE don't take insult to this statement...Indians need to know that India created, armed and financially supported the LTTE...
I don't know why the CM and Mr. M.K. should encourage and support such protests.
Tamil Nadu politicians must not be petty and they must not contribute to to divisions
between the people of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Amicable political solution is the
way forward for all differences.
These types of attitude by Tamil Nadu (Govt & political parties) will
further push Sri Lanka to have close ties with China, which is not in
the interest of India.
Political parties in Tamil Nadu's main issue as of today is that the
rehabilitation of Tamils after the War is not taking place and Tamils
are treated as second class citizens.
Sri Lanka President has invited both Mr. Karunanidhi and Ms.
Jayalalitha to visit and look for the activities undergoing in Tamil
speaking areas. Why can't they visit and assess themselves on the
progress made instead of simply saying nothing is taking place?
Tamilnadu CM is responsible for such development,due to her immature statements.She is blind to the fact that more than 20% of Srilankans are Tamils.
There were tens of thousands of our innocent brethern's lifes were taken away in 2009 in North Sri Lanka-Read UN Expert Panel's report. To Date No Independent Investigation against the human rights violators was talked about nor an international commission implemented. What are Tamils in Tamil Nadu or elsewhere suppose to do? Options: Ignore or Demand Justice or Heed to Geo-politics and succump to similar fate in future? The Centre should give answer.
What a shame? If we allow this we right do we have to complain about demand in US sending back our techies from their soil. Some politicians would play ball with nations reputation just to garner a few more votes.
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