A day after two batches of Sri Lankan students who were here on invitation to play football matches left India in three different flights on Sunday, tension prevailed in Thanjavur district where 200 Sri Lankans arrived to participate in a religious event.
Members of the Naam Tamizhar Iyakkam raised slogans protesting the visit of the Sri Lankan nationals and demanded that they be sent back immediately, police sources said.
Worried about the development, one of the pilgrims made frantic calls to officials, including the Foreign Secretary of India.
Top police and revenue officials intervened and held talks with both groups. “No decision has been taken yet on sending them (the Sri Lankan nationals) back to their country. As of now, adequate security arrangements have been made to ensure their safety. They had come to participate in a church festival,” a senior police official said.
Meanwhile, Chennai police sources said Sri Lankan school students who had come to play football matches advanced their return tickets and left the country with the assistance of the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission authorities.
Hours after Chief Minister Jayalalithaa ordered that the Sri Lankan students be sent back, police got in touch with the teams and persuaded them to leave, the sources said.
The first team of 11 students arrived in Chennai on August 30 and played a friendly match with a Customs team. While they waited to play the next match, another team of 19 students landed early on Sunday. They were scheduled to play a match with a private school team here.
“In order to ensure their safety, we escorted them to the airport. In the last one week, there were two incidents of protests against the visit of Sri Lankan students. Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam workers staged a demonstration against the visit of a Sri Lankan school cricket team to a school in Yercaud. Similarly, a protest was organised to oppose another group participating in a cultural programme in a Tiruchi college,” a police officer said.
Incidents unfortunate
The Deputy High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Southern India R.K.M.A. Rajakaruna termed the incidents unfortunate. “The students were here on invitation…it was a goodwill visit and they had their return tickets. The visit was not in connection with any Government programme but based on people-to-people contact. It is very unfortunate that these incidents are happening here,” he told The Hindu.
Mr. Rajakaruna said a special request was made to Sri Lankan Airlines to fly the players to Colombo.
Keywords: India-Sri Lanka relations, Sri Lankan Tamils issue, ethnic conflict, Tamil Eelam demand, Sri Lankan travel advisory, Sri Lankan football team
Irony of this whole issue is almost everyone see the total opposite of
what they are suppose to.
Whose mistake is it when somebody enters territorial waters of another
country to do fishing and/or smuggle drugs/weapons. Isn't it the duty
of their forces to defend their territory. Will Indian coast guards
allow foreign nationals to fish in their waters?
Why are they so bothered about people in another nation, when many
people in the state are suffering without basic hygienes. Why are they
supporting to establish an Tamil Ealam in another country when the
roots of Tamils are in India itself.
These TN politicians shouting on behalf of drug-lords and pro-LTTE
groups to help continues their illegal activities and to raise funds
for LTTE propaganda. One the other hand they have got hold of the
votes of Tamil extremists by triggering their emotions.
It's not far too long before they get their hands burnt.
If JJ is trying to improve relative image of the Sri Lankan regime vis a
vis TN Politics, she is doing a great job...Bravo
Tamil Nadu only cares about India's national security. The Tamils in
Tamil Nadu not concern about the Tamils in Sri Lanka. They only concern
about Sri Lanka's closer relationship with China. India will never get
closer to Sri Lanka by using the Tamils issues. India must play a decent
game to keep Sri Lanka closer, by investing, creating jobs and giving
better life to the people in Sri Lanka. Having said that the Sri Lankan
government must treat the Tamils as their own citizens, and develop the
country as well.
Please understand the political mentality of the people who behind this attacks. How they will act when the political power come to their hands ???
I am an Indian origin tamil and living in Sri Lankan up country area.I am freely living here.I really against the act of CM of TN. We are very shame to say as Indian origin.
We invite to come Sri Lanka to see the real pichture.
It is unfortunate that a pro LTTE organisation is indulging in the pogrom against SriLankan Nationals in Tamil nadu.The chief minister is to be blamed for all these fiasco.She triggered off the ongoing animosity,and it did not augur well.Those indulged in vandalism and arson should be punished severely.The Centre should not keep quiet.Now it is the time to assert its power.Ordinary SriLankan citizen,whether Tamil or Singalese should not be dragged into the petty politics of political outfits.
@Jayalath Hamage - When Sri Lanka denied unrestricted access to free and independent global and local media, Human Rights groups, Journalists, NGOs, Diplomats to Tamil areas, it has exposed all over the world the horror that took place including the use of chemical weapons. Since Independence, Tamils have been denied Justice, Rule of Law, Equality and Human Rights and it is well known all over the world.
If People in Tamilnadu behave like this with limited power, imagine if they had a country? They would be the new Taliban Land of the world. Utterly shameful. If at all, they should have a problem with the Sri Lankan government and not the people immaterial of race. Very primitive way of thinking. Pushes the world back 500 years.
I invite Indians to come Sri Lanka and get the cerrect idea of the relation between Sinhalese and Tamils. All are living together & very friendly.I request tamil nadu politicience not to mesleed the ordiary TN peoples.
I am very sad of these actions of tamil nadu. I can understand there anger of the war that the tamil fought and lost. But 30 years of terrorism to make a "pure tamil race state" is not a legit freedom fight. What would Tamil nadu like if the afghanis starts jihad there for a own state?
Tamils are not the only minority in sri lanka. But most of the minorites lives in peace and can practise there religion and way of life in sri lanka. Muslims are bigger majority than Tamils. And they can even walk with full veil to the bank. Malays (asam indian thai people) , burgers (white) and other enthic groups have lived together for hundreds of years...And just cos the white man divided the great indian people. We should FOCUS on to unite South asian people to ONE strong people again. As the old days, when we was just INDIANS , and not bengalis or afghans or pakistanis or bangladeshis, or tibetanians or nepalis.
We are strong together !
To all my Sri Lankan sisters and brothers: As a citizen of India and
on behalf of other like-minded people, I am deeply ashamed of these
developments in Tamil Nadu, regret them and apologize for them.
However, please do understand that India is not Tamil Nadu, or for
that matter, most Tamils in India would equally condemn this
fanaticism. I do hope that the situation would ameliorate and those
sowing the seeds of hatred would come to understand better. In the
meantime, please do know that if not Tamil Nadu (presently), you were,
are, and will always be a friend and are always welcome in other
states.
While on one hand, politicians are acting with Elections just one year ahead, we should think about the plight of Indian Fishermen (from Tamilnadu) being attacked by Srilankan Navy off & on and the recent incidents will make the authorities in Sri Lanka and India to sit back and think what must be done (atleast now...)
It is a very sad state of affairs in Tamilnadu with regards to Sri Lankans.This will be a bad example for devolution of power to provinces in Sri Lanka as provices can act like the Tamil Nadu state in India causing problems to the Central Govt:
India can be rest assured that no retaliation against their citizens will result over this in Sri Lanka. We are a peaceful people and are freinds with all of India in spite of a few misguided politicians in South India.
We invite Indians to come and see the real situation in Sri Lanka.All sinhalese and Tamils are living together and they do their jobs/business together with very friendly manner.We can understand low quality politicians are misleading the people in Tamil Nadu.
We could visit other areas of India and we know the common peoples of india are very good and they are our brothers, so no need to come Tamil Nadu.I again invite all Indians to visit Sri Lanka and get the correct picture of a nice country.
Jayalalitha and Karunanidhi are competing. They will destroy the
timeless bond of friendship and brotherhood between ordinary Sri
Lankans and Indians.
All for the sake of extremist Tamil seperatist/nationalist vote bank
in Tamil Nadu. Shameful indeed.
Sri Lankans had a serious problem with the LTTE. That was dealt with
properly after 30 years of violence.
Sri Lankans have no issue with fellow Tamil citizens, Tamil Nadu or
India. Only great affection.
Law abiding India should nip this rude stupidity against friendly Sri
Lankans in the bud.
These attitudes of our Tamil Nadu Government and politicians are
definitely not going to ease the problems of Tamils in Sri Lanka,
instead it is going to multiply, for these Sportsmen and Pilgrims, (who
were forcibly sent back), would be showing their frustrations after they
reach back their home. Let LOVE prevails everywhere
This is state of our 'developed' states. Infact, the 'development' has now transformed itself into arrogance. Over the past decade, the the weak govts. at the Centre have been appeasing the Dravidan parties from TN. If there is a genuine concern for the Tamil people in SL, let these parties route their protest through the Central govt.
What is the purpose of having a Govt. if people are allowed to act like this. Just a few of them are trying to change the good image of two countries. Good friends of Sinhalese and Tamils must not allow these things. We sinhalese are still friendly with tamil friends.
This is not a welcome move by either side. The people should not be
punished for the the misdeeds and fault of the Govt if Srilanka and
India. Even in foot ball sports the action taken by the Jayalalitha is a
haste move to please the vote bank. This is not help the relations
between the two countries and the people at large.
Our politicians are playing with fire which may have chain reaction and
effect our national interests.
Our country is crossing the limits of Democracy. A Chief Minister of a State continuously comments (lambasts) the Prime Minister of the country without any fear or embarassment. Any Political Leader feels he has a right to comment on Central Govt functioning. A State Govt deputes its MLAs, CMs at the cost of State Exchequer to visit foreign countries without Central Govt's Approval. A visiting Chief Minister makes commitments abroad on matters involving Trade and Commerce which in the normal course should be left to our Foreign Office and RBI. Now a State Govt is encouraging lawlessness in the State by indulging in politicking with Lankan citizens who are visiting India and thus creating hatred among the two Nations. But the Central Govt is silent on reactions. Where do we go from here?
These activities against innocent Sri Lankans should not be tolerated by the Indian Authorities. What is bound to happen is, there could be some retaliation agains the many Indians here. These political parties think they are helping the Tamil's cause here in Sri Lanka. They are not. They are simply creating unrest here once again. When the Tamils in the North needed help in May 2009. all these people kept quiet. So, just go away, please.
What a mess ? Why do the Sri Lankans visit a country where they not welcome ? Sri Lankans will not loose anything by not visiting India, specially Tamil Nadu. Why go there to be harassed and humiliated for no reason at all.
Passing resolutions, sending back soldiers, football players, pilgrims etc., is not going to cut ice with Sri Lankan government or the Sinhalese people, if we want to help tamil people there, we should strive to give a helping hand to both sinhalese and tamils to reconcile and live to-gether, as that will be the only permanent and practicle solution, not by talking non-sense of creating Tamil Eelam etc., Sri Lanka is not Pakistan or Bangladesh and neither we are living in 1947 or 1971
It is really really unfortunate.What is happenings to India and the people here?Have they gone crazy?A sports team comes from other country and our ministers send them back in an insulting manner.People come for religious practices and they are asked to leave.How can we expect respect and welcome to us when we go outside India,when our intelligent ministers are intimidating the citizens of other countries to leave.Why don't people understand that all that is happening right now in India is nothing but nefarious tactics to gain more and more votes in the coming elections.Have we common people gone blind and we cannot see when everything is visible,and we easily fall into the traps of these clever politicians.Have we not matured enough in the last 60 years to understand these dirty games of politicians?
The central government acts swiftly and clamps down upon the media, individuals and NGOs using ambiguous clauses like good relations with neighbouring countries, maintaining peace, law and order. Why then is it silent when citizens of Sri Lanka are being harrassed in Tamil Nadu or hate speeches are being made in Maharashtra against Biharis, even branding them as immigrants? The obvious answer is politics. Congress can't afford to go against what it believes is the opinion of a significant section of Tamilians and Maharashtrians. It is strange that people from Pakistan, a country that has several times gone into war with us and keeps exporting terrorism, can come, perform, earn, travel freely.
These incidents are badly spoiling the image of Tamil Nadu and its
people. We are known for our hospitality (Aditi Devo Bhava and all
that!) and it does not behoove us to behave like this. Whatever our
politics, there is no reason to be rude to our Sri Lankan guests. We
may have our legitimate concerns about how the Tamil population is being
treated in Sri Lanka, but that does not give us the right to offend
school children and pilgrims. These incidents are really in poor taste!
That is why they say politics is a dirty game played by scoundrel's. Those Lankans were no threat to Tamil people & were here in good faith & trusted Tamil Nadu to protect them. Who has lost face? Certainly not Sri Lanka. Ethnic issue of Sri Lanka is their internal issue & govt of India can only facilitate a resolution based on UN laws.
Its so shameful to know how intolerant we Indians have become.
It is highly unfortunate that ordinary Srilankan citizens are harassed
in Tamilnadu. Particularly arts and games is one avenue - that brings
hearts and minds of people together.
Having said that, these groups that oppose ordinary Srilankan citizens
like, pilgrims, artists, players, must understand a fact that, the
DNAs of Tamils and Sinhalese are of the same - means they are from the
same ancestors.
Hate wars, hate crimes, but do not hate humans. It is very dangerous.
Sir,
Why The Hindu is silent on this state of affairs? We can understand the sentiments of the Tamil people. But this sort of encouraging "extradition" of the tourists and visitors ,and students from Sri Lanka ,from Tamil Nadu Govt looks pretty bad. We dont have any rights to criticise Raj Thackeray,if such things happen in TN.
The developments would not have taken this ugly turn if only the Defence
Ministry had heeded the Tamil Nadu CM's request and sent back the Sri
Lankan defence personnel being trained. Now, it will get worse. It is
unfortunate and the blame will be on the Central Govt. and Defence MoS,
Pallam Raju.
A very shameful episode! Such intolerance is unacceptable. Why are we hell bent on not having even one friendly neighbour? The mob mentality is irrational, scary and destructive.
This is very unfortunate, its not good for India, Sri Lanka is friendly neighbor, If this continue they will go to China, then make another noise, that SL goes to China instead of India.
These kind of things will have larger repercussions for TN.
I very much want to see normalising relations between the two countries.
But it cannot be one rule for us and another for them. Has Sri Lanka
ever been a safe place for us to visit? The rights violations in Sri
Lanka against the Tamil people including Indian fishermen must stop,
only then can these democratic and peaceful protests in Tamil Nadu
cease.
International Independent Investigation into war crimes will resolve the hurt caused in
2009 to Tamils in the island. These demonstrations will go away once the
investigation is implemented, and acton.
One gets the impression that there is absolutely no governance in India and the central
government seems incapable of taking tough measures even when faced with violence. The
mobs instigated by the various Tamil parties seem to be running riot and this anarchy is even
supported by the state government. The central government appears to be asleep and has
not reacted to the state government running its foreign policy by violent means. Galbraith
once called India a functioning anarchy. I wonder whether he would still call it 'functioning'
were he alive today
Considering the inhuman conditions that hapless Tamil civilians were subjected to in the final stages of the 2008-2009 pogrom, this is just a symbolic protest - any civilization/culture worth its salt would engage in one when members of one's community members are purged.
One only hopes these mild protests against visiting SLs does not in turn lead to added suffering for the Tamilians in SL who are inching back to normal ways of life.
Its very sad news and I do no tknow why people of Tamil Nadu act this way? In USA, I have come across many Srilankan Freinds who were seek asylum to USA or migrated permanently by leaving their home countries because of the act of LTTE or Indian Tamils created a problem in their land. We have to apologize for this and have to respect every citizen of nations. If we do this, what happens if Tamils(India) and Indians asked to leave from their home lands?
This madness should end NOW.
How long it will take for Sri Lankans to target Indian Visitors to that country? Needless to say any Hindu looking person Sri Lankan or Indian will fall victim to the reprisal attacks.
Ancient Tamil culture was all about humanism and hospitality. In recent times, the behaviour of certain groups claiming to represent Tamils is despicable. By propagating hatred all over the state they are bringing great shame to Tamils. What have they achieved by sending innocent tourists out of the state? Does it improve the situation of the Tamils in Sri Lanka? Instead of providing safety and protection, the state government has joined hands with these people in threatening visitors to the state. They have well and truly destroyed Tamil culture forever.
As a native of Tami Nadu, I feel ashamed by these threats of violence against ordinary Sri Lankan people.The state government must never encourage such fascist tendencies for the sake of vote bank politics.
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