The Indian government, whether it is led by the Congress or the BJP, has failed to formulate a robust foreign policy to deal with Sri Lanka and ensure the welfare of Malaiyaha Tamils, said Mano Ganesan, Sri Lankan MP and leader of the Tamil Progressive Alliance, in Tiruchi, on Saturday.
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Speaking to journalists, he said British colonisers brought Malaiyaha Tamils, a marginalised community from Tamil Nadu, to Sri Lanka to work as plantation labourers at tea estates in the 19th century. Since then, the community has faced many struggles.
“The Indian government, whether it is BJP or Congress, has failed to formulate a robust foreign policy to deal with Sri Lanka. As a result, nearly 15 lakh Malaiyaha Tamils in Sri Lanka and 20 lakh repatriated workers living in Tamil Nadu have suffered,” he said.
Apart from discussing the welfare of Tamils in the Northern and North-Eastern parts of Sri Lanka, both the Union and State governments have to consider the demands of Malaiyaha Tamils in the Central region and extend support for their welfare. The social justice policies of the Tamil Nadu government have to go beyond the State and reach Sri Lanka too, for the welfare of Malaiyaha Tamils, he said.
The governments should consider their demands and frame new policies with a special focus on the welfare and upliftment of Malaiyaha Tamils, the Sri Lankan MP said.