The visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is but the first step towards the redressal of the grievances of hill-country Tamils in Sri Lanka (“The long journey of a forgotten people,” May 18). For long, their struggle has played a second fiddle to that of their Tamil counterparts in the North and the East. Breaking away from the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) and voting for the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) was an important move. The community now has Members of Parliament, including Ministers, representing it, who have been vocal about the slow pace of reforms. The community’s fundamental needs can be grouped into three categories — education, health care and housing. Its members don’t need continuous doles from the state but want to be seen as dutiful citizens who have the same rights as the rest of the Sri Lankan people. India needs to play an enabling role and not limit itself to implementing a disaster-style relief programme.
Saishankar Swaminathan,
Chennai
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