Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into the incident where a well-known anthropologist from the U.K.'s University of Sussex was deported on his arrival at the Thiruvananthapuram airport last week.
Mr. Vijayan, in a letter, termed the deportation of Filippo Osella, Professor of Anthropology and South Asian Studies, University of Sussex, ''distressful'' and urged the Prime Minister to issue directions to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
Prof. Osella is a well-known anthropologist who has conducted extensive research in many places, including Kerala. He has published research in the areas of social mobility and migration, Mr. Vijayan said.
''Our country has a rich tradition of welcoming foreign scholars and social scientists who showed interest in conducting extensive field studies in various places covering diverse aspects of our social life and economy. These scholars have produced valuable research publications. We need to continue this tradition of being friendly and according welcome to scholars,'' the Chief Minister said.
Prof. Osella was deported on his arrival by an Emirates flight from Dubai on the morning of March 24. He was not given any reason by the Immigration officials for the unusual step. He was merely told that the decision was made by the Indian government.
Prof. Osella had stated that he was ‘‘shocked and saddened’‘ by the decision. His current research project was approved by the Government of India. A multidisciplinary research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (U.K.), it seeks to find solutions for making the livelihood of small-scale artisanal fishers in Kerala more secure and sustainable by improving safety at sea. Prof. Osella suspects, although he is not sure, that his deportation may have had to do with his earlier visits to Pakistan for research and to attend conferences.
