India and Sri Lanka began on Friday to discuss the repatriation of more than one lakh refugees living in Tamil Nadu. The delegations of the two countries, comprising foreign Ministry officials, spoke about the steps to be taken for the voluntary repatriation of refugees living in 107 camps of whom at least 24,000 were born in India since the camps were first set up in 1983.
However, the Tamil Nadu government that was invited by the Ministry of External Affairs to send a representative refused to attend the meeting, saying it was “premature.”
“The conditions in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka are still not conducive for the refugees to return to their native land,” said Chief Minister O. Paneerselvam in his reply to the Central government.
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Government sources described the meeting as the first round of “preliminary” talks, with more progress expected when Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena visits New Delhi in mid-February and Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Colombo in mid-March.
Shortly after winning the elections, Mr. Sirisena announced that he would visit India on his first trip abroad.
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera was in Delhi on January 18 to make preparations for the presidential visit, expected in early February.
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